Health: Concerns raised about same-day GP hub in north-west London

The hubs will triage and refer patients to the most suitable service, whether that is another practice or pharmacist

Patient groups and the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) are concerned over plans to introduce same-day appointment hubs in north-west London from April.

The hubs will refer patients to a service including their own practice, another practice or pharmacist.

The RCGP says GPs may end up only treating complex conditions and patient groups say others may be "fobbed off", disrupting their continuity of care.

Health bosses say they will gradually introduce the new triage system.

North West London Integrated Care System (ICS), which is behind the plans, said the hubs will be located at physical sites and delivered virtually.

Patients will be triaged and referred to a practitioner. If an appointment is not available at a patient's practice on the same day, they could be referred to another practice.

The new system will affect more than two million people.

Shortage of GPs

Dr Genevieve Small, a Harrow GP and medical director, primary care, at NHS North West London said the new approach would be "introduced gradually" to "ensure that GPs have more time to proactively care for their patients who most need their expertise, including those with long term conditions".

"I want to be clear that clinical decisions and referrals will continue to be made by clinical staff," Dr Small explained.

The RCGP is concerned about the impact the hubs will have on continuity of care

Campaign group Hammersmith & Fulham Save Our NHS (HAFSON) raised concerns about the impact of the plans on patient safety.

HAFSON member Merril Hammer, 78, said north-west London was "badly affected" by a shortage of GPs and said the hubs could "destroy" continuity of care in practices.

She also warned there is a risk of patients with non-complex conditions being "fobbed off" to other health practitioners.

While the RCGP said same-day access hubs could streamline processes and improve patient experience, its chairwoman Prof Kamila Hawthorne agreed there were concerns.

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"It's the trusted relationships between GPs and patients, built over time, that help us to give patients the holistic care they often need," Prof Hawthorne explained.

"We're also concerned that if all minor ailments are funnelled off to same-day access hubs, then GP workload would shift to solely treating more complex, long-term conditions, which require significantly more time.

"Whilst this is the type of care that GPs are highly trained to deliver, it would have implications for workforce planning in general practice, as we currently plan our time and staffing schedules around delivering care to a wide range of patients and conditions," she added.

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