What a cock, a corrupt cock. Look at the real reasons.
Walk in centres were set up for two reasons. I know this, I have to deal with it daily.
Save money. A&E if you walk in, immediatly charge money to the Doctor you are with. Regadless of what you need to do. The charge is a lot of money.
The PCT has to pay the doctor for your treatment, that is then paid to the A&E. You pay more if you go to A&E for non emergency stuff. £65 - £500 each.
So the PCT's then decided to save money, tax payers money by putting in a middle ground. a walk in centre which are PCT employees and therefore avoid the stupid tax that Acute PCT's charge us.
Still with me?
Second is the people using A&E that shouldn't, they go to a walk in centre and THEN get sent to A&E if needed. Or treated if the moron patient goes because of snuffles etc.
The A&E (for my area) then complain because there isn't the footfall through the door to warrant the A&E, or the number of consultants. The walk in centre is removing funds from the PCT despite them complaining all the time.
So now the consultants being sacked or the A&E closing hits the headlines and the walk in centre closes or merges with A&E. And we still pay the acute trust vast sums of money for you turning up with your broken finger, or your bruised knee.
The Doctors are complaining because if you walk into a walk in centre, or use NHS direct you are not walking through the surgery doors. And they are paid for each ten minute visit. It is a tick box exercise. Nothing more. (You ask yourself why your Doctor now does 5 minutes?) They are just complaining because they are not getting as much wage as they used to.
Value for money it isn't, Labours internal market is to blame. Though the tory dems are not making it look much better.
What should be investigated is the hospital to be charged if the person returns within a month. It will mean you are kept in longer than needed, so no beds, more cost to the PCT as a result. If they are paid £500 a day by charging your Dr they want to send you home, if they can keep you in and are now told to keep you in or risk fines, it is 500 more a day per patient. It is now in their interest to keep you in.
And of course the plan to make the Dr's control 98% of their budgets and what they spend come from them. Removing them even further from PCT control. So basically removing the PCT and creating in our area 43 separate PCT's (1 for every Dr.) No central control, no central responsibility. And if they treat the PCT like they do. Expect the NHS to die, very quickly.
Patient care records. One practice (all staff) shut down a window by rebooting the machine. They don't understand the X in the top right hand corner. You trust those people with your critical and sensitive patient information????? Are you mad?
Anon as you know where I work.