The health secretary’s proposal for named clinicians shows he has no idea how the system works already (Hunt: GPs to be held accountable for care round the clock as ‘‘named clinicians”).
GPs are responsible for all their patients in the community, and out-of-hours incidents are reported to them in the morning so they can act on them if indicated. I fail to understand how his proposals are any different from what we do now.
In what scenario would an out-of-hours doctor who believes a patient needs to be admitted take the advice of a drowsy GP at home, who has not seen the patient, telling him or her not to bother? The idea is barmy; one would admit anyway. But what do you expect when you get a minister that not so long ago had another portfolio and now pretends to lead the NHS, about which he is clueless?
Dr Carlos Knorr, Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex
