Super schools? Super surgeries? What’s the big obsession?

What does super mean?
Is it a phrase to excite us?
Is it a phrase to keep us docile?

Whatever it is the government seems to be preoccupied with the word super in relation to public establishments. Alongside the “super schools” agenda, the government seems caught up on introducing ‘polyclinics’ or “super-surgeries” across England.

In theory, the proposals seem workable and positive: flash modern buildings and extended opening hours. In practice, they could prove damaging. Doctors and nurses will be working shifts and, potentially, breaking down the traditional doctor/patient relationship. Groups, namely the Patients Association, believe: “the greatest concern that the Patient Association harbour’s in regard to polyclinics is the need for continuity in doctor-patient relations.

It is often crucial to the efficiency of the patients treatment that they form a bond or relationship with their local GP so the doctor can use their understanding of different patients social and cultural backgrounds.

There will also be fewer buildings, "the proposal... is to crush singlehanded and small practices in favour of giant super surgeries of 10 or more doctors. The current 10 000 British practices would shrink to a miserable 1800", said Dr John Dracass of the West Hampshire local medical committee. This will mean that patients will have to travel further in order to see their GP.

Facebook group, Save our Surgeries, opposes the proposals and believes that “the Government fails to understand the depth of opposition from doctors and patients to this policy and does not have a clear understanding of what the proposals will mean in practice. Even the term polyclinic has not been properly defined.”

George Monbiot, of the Guardian, is similarly against the proposals: “None of this serves either the customer or the taxpayer. The irony of Brown's reforms is that they are wholly centred on the needs of the providers rather than the patients.
“Little by little, the privatisation of the NHS is happening already, disguised as a crusade for patient power.”

However, a similar system has taken place in Australia to rave reviews. Every city has a medical centre which holds 12 doctors, and patients can walk in 24-hours a day. They even co-exist with local GPs.

We can’t decide whether the polyclinics will be a success without seeing them in practice, however, like the super school scheme it has found more criticism than praise. “People will not realise just how good the UK GP system is until it is abolished or undermined”, this was a comment from one reader on the BBC website.

It just seems like another Americanisation of the British system. The projects have already tried and, arguably, failed in the states but yet they’ve been transferred to the United Kingdom.

Like the “super schools” story only time will tell if the scheme will be a success.




To add your views you could go to http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/. This is just one group against the plans.