Health secretary announces end to GP catchment areas

摘要

A plan to do away with the boundaries of general practices in England over the next 12 months and to allow patients to choose where they register was announced on 17 September by the health secretary, Andy Burnham.Speaking at the King's Fund, Mr Burn-ham said, "Too often people's choice of GP practice is unnecessarily limited by practice boundaries. So, with the profession, I want to open up real choice in primary care."Burnham's speech outlined his plans for reform of the NHS over the next decade and made it clear that the emphasis would be on patient centred care. He said that people's choice of GP should be allowed to reflect their needs and not be determined by "lines on a map or what is easiest for PCTs [primary care trusts]."