Same day GP hubs: How will they affect access and continuity of care?

Plans for a new patient triage system across primary care in northwest London have caused “immense concern” among those directly affected and GPs in other parts of the country, reports Emma Wilkinson

What are same day GP hubs?

North West London Integrated Care Board (ICB) has said it plans to introduce same day GP access hubs so that all patients in its region contacting their GP for an appointment will be triaged to get them to the “right place.”1 Under the proposals, primary care networks, on their own or working with others, will provide a hub at one of the practices in the networks or other premises staffed by other primary care staff and overseen by at least one GP. The hubs will increase same day access to GPs and other primary care professionals for those patients who need it, the ICB said. Practices in the area will have to sign up to the scheme, which has been trialled in 10 PCNs, to receive any local enhanced service funding, it has been reported. After initially saying it would be introduced in April, the ICB has now said it will do a phased rollout of the scheme.

Are there any results from the pilot?

There are no results as yet, which has caused major concern among GPs’ leaders. In a letter to North West London ICB, Londonwide Local Medical Committees, the organisation that represents London’s GPs, emphasised that any wider rollout “should be based on evaluation and experience of pilot sites.”2 The letter, coauthored by Chaand Nagpaul, chair of Harrow Local Medical Committee, and who practises in one of the pilot areas, said local GPs were “still finding our feet” with the …

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