Help the Aged: Access must be guaranteed

Any changes to the provision of primary care through GPs should ensure easy access for all people is guaranteed, Help the Aged has said.

Its comments follow a report from the King's Fund on the proposed polyclinics that would see services centralised in larger centres.

"Many of the principles behind the idea of a polyclinic, such as increasing access with more effective co-ordination of services, are admirable," said Help the Aged's senior policy officer Charlotte Potter.

"But as ever the devil is in the detail of implementation. The King's Fund have raised some serious concerns that must be addressed."

She added: "GPs are often the gateway to lifeline services for older people - not just health but also social care.

"It is essential that primary care trusts only reconfigure services in a way which guarantees better access and coordination for all users, paying particular attention to older people who will depend on them most."