[Margaret Pilkington]

Watch out.....there is a move afoot to remove people from a GP's list if they have not needed to see thier Gp in the last five years.

It seems that this is a cost saving measure which is aimed at removing 'ghost patients' from lists.
GPs get £136 per annum for every patient on their list regardless of whether the patient requires treatment.

A private company (Capita) are being enlisted to do the administrative work on this cost saving exercise....so that is going to eat into those savings that are hoped this scheme will provide.
They will send out two warning letters and if there is no response to these you may be removed from your GP's list.

You will then have to re-register with the practice(if they have room for you)provide proof of identity and you may have to wait up to three weeks to get an appointment.

Now, I have not visited my GP for a fair while...it might even be five years.
I do not believe introubling a doctor for minor ailments(and especially as by the time you get an appointment the problem has usually cleared up).
So should we...the healthy people, be clogging up the GP's waiting room just to let them know we are perfectly healthy?( and in the process making it even more difficult for someone who is genuinely in need of medical help, to see a doctor)

Surely to goodness there is a better way.
If I had moved and no longer needed to be register with my GP....would they not realise this when they received a request for my notes from a new GP?

If ( god forbid) I was to snuff it, surely there is some mechanism with in the NHS/DWP of letting this be known to the GP( i guess himself could always pop in and tell them that at last I had got my wings/shovel).

It is a farce and it may remove services from the most vulnerable in our communities.