SIR – M Swiers entirely misses the point (These clinics are not all what they seem to be, Letters, Wednesday, August 27) in his comments on local NHS care. Unfortunately, he confuses a “polyclinic” with a GP-led health centre. For his benefit, let me point out the differences because they are important.
A polyclinic is a new concept for health care, delivered locally. The idea is for GPs to work alongside a variety of other health professionals, including nurses, dentists, social workers and hospital doctors offering patients a more integrated package of care and diagnosis. This is not what is proposed for Worcester.
GP-led health centres are something entirely different. They are designed to offer greater access to GP services. They will be open from 8am till 8pm, seven days a week with both an ability to pre-book appointments or for local people simply to walk in and seek help.
The GP-led health centre can be used by anyone, regardless of who their permanent GP is. They are to be used in addition to existing GP services, not instead of them.
The best similarity that exists is the out-of-hours GP service based at the hospital. If someone in Worcester wants to see a GP, but outside normal opening hours, they can and do use the out-of-hours service. The new GP-led health centre will operate more like this than what Mr Swiers wrongly describes as a “super clinic”.
Mr Swiers and the forces of conservatism should stop trying to frighten vulnerable people with scare stories and at least treat readers to facts and not fiction.
MICHAEL FOSTER MP, Worcester.
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