Doctors oppose super surgery plan

The super surgery would be run by several GPs

Doctors have opposed plans to build a super surgery in North Yorkshire.

The new centre, earmarked for Scarborough, would be run by several doctors and offer specialist services.

Some GPs and community members say the plans would threaten existing GP practices and the doctor-patient relationship would suffer.

At a public meeting on Monday, doctors voiced their concerns and said the current primary care system was very good.

Health minister Lord Darzi wants to replace surgeries manned by a single GP with larger 'polyclinics' as part of a reorganisation of the GP system in England.

Every patient can find a good GP and we have the highest satisfactory levels in the country Doctor John Compton

The government has suggested the policy would only apply to bigger GP clinics.

Doctor John Compton, who chairs a committee which speaks for 700 doctors across the county, said: "None of us are not about investing in future services but we believe we have a very good model of primary care and we believe the polyclinic model will actively try to undermine the current practice.

"We have enough practices in North Yorkshire. Every patient can find a good GP and we have the highest satisfactory levels in the country and to try and duplicate and cherry pick patients from practices will destabilise and undermine them."

North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust has said there would be an "intense" period of public consultation before any decision was made.