Letters to the Editor

Changes to GP Services in Warrington

I have attended a number of the PCT consultations and spoken to very many users of GP services in respect of these proposals, and have also had the opportunity to discuss them with a number of Doctors, other healthcare professionals and most importantly, patients.

I welcome all pragmatic proposals that plan to improve healthcare services in Warrington, and in particular, welcome those proposals that:

• Improve accessibility to the full range of Primary Health Care services in those areas of our community where they are not readily accessible;

• and, based on the Primary Care Trust’s own analysis that Warrington receives relatively poor value in primary healthcare for the money spent, improve that value for money.

It is true that in many other towns, moves to larger centres have brought benefits in terms of availability of scarce services, longer opening hours and easier links to public transport. It is also true that where these larger centres have been implemented, they have been done with the full co-operation and support of the GP community.

In Warrington, the GPs oppose the proposals because uniquely here the sensible parts of the plan, of which there are many, are accompanied by a proposal that in effect forces the existing GP practices into the new so called "mega practices". In other towns, GP practices have moved into the new premises whilst maintaining the existing and important Doctor/patient relationship. The consequence of the Warrington proposal therefore, is that the GP and patient ethos is threatened. This is not the case in other parts of the country, and does not have to be the case here.

The GP and patient relationship is central to primary healthcare services and should not be threatened by plans, which at the moment are seen by many, to be too radical and lacking clarity of thought. I urge Warrington Primary Care Trust to reconsider their plans, and to bring forward revised proposals to maintain and improve the GP practices AND to invest the additional money necessary to offer improved services and access….which by their own analysis is sorely needed.

I very much look forward to working with them, our healthcare professionals and patient groups in order to ensure we have a Primary Healthcare service in Warrington that will improve the health and wellbeing of its people, now and in the future.

Yours sincerely

David Mowat