WIREDGOV

“This report tells us what we already know - that the NHS complaints system is in disarray and that patients are being excluded from GP lists without a valid reason.

 Far too often patients tell us that they have been removed from their GP list without warning or explanation. Now the Ombudsman says that over a fifth of complaints in the last year were about patients being removed from GP lists, which is more than 3 times higher than previous years! 

If patients do not have access to a GP they often seek treatment at Accident and Emergency. An appointment with your GP costs £32 but a visit to Accident and Emergency costs at least £87. When the NHS has to save billions of pounds, this is like throwing money down the drain. GPs must work with patients to understand what has gone wrong in the doctor-patient relationship and resolve the issue with the patient - they can’t simply be allowed to remove a patient without a legitimate reason. It is costing patients in terms of their health and it is costing the NHS in money ”