Doctors and their reception staff in Brighton and Hove have been refusing to register travellers, health chiefs were told today.
After the NHS sent guidance to try to prevent fraud, some GP surgeries interpreted this to mean that they could not register patents who did not have formal identification.
This included, among others, Gypsies and travellers.
But the Royal College of General Practitioners had brought a successful legal challenge to the guidance, local health chiefs were told by patient watchdog Neil Stevenson.
Dr Stevenson, representing the Brighton and Hove Local Involvement Network (LINk), said that not all family doctors’ practices appeared to be aware that the guidance no longer applied.
He was addressing the annual general meeting of NHS Sussex, the cluster of primary care trusts that commissions health services across the county.
The meeting was held at Hove Town Hall this afternoon (Tuesday 20 September).
Doctors and their Medical staff have NO RIGHT under any circumstances to be able to REFUSE medical attention to anyone if it’s necessary! Lots of ‘staff’ already look down their noses at people from their ‘Perch’ as it is, and if this is the attitude folk have to be faced with in an ever uncaring Tory controlled NHS service, people should begin to search for alternatives….BOYCOT!
As far as I know, no one was refused medical treatment. They were told that they could not be registered as patients without identification.
Whenever I ring my GP’s surgery for an appointment or to request a phone call back, I am required to confirm my address first and occasionally, elsewhere, to give additional information.
How do travellers get around that requirement? Without the check, anyone could ring and give any name and access information. How do you pin down a traveller’s ID to safeguard them?
Like all other visitors do, I assume A&E to be the correct place for them to go in the absence of a GP. If you are a traveller, travelling and visiting, you can’t surely register with a GP at every port of call !
why do they like sunny sussex so much ? i see they are at Stanmer park now will they be there all summer ?