Losing What Matters: Continuity, Care, and the Future of General Practice

Dear Patients,

We feel it is important to speak openly and honestly with you about our concerns regarding the future of the NHS.

As GPs, we have never felt this level of uncertainty and distress about the direction healthcare is taking.

General practice — and the NHS more widely — is currently under unprecedented pressure. Demand continues to rise year on year, while resources, staffing, and funding are increasingly stretched.

Alongside this, we are seeing a growing number of system changes that, in our professional view, are making it harder to provide the kind of care patients need and deserve.

Our concerns

We are deeply worried about the direction of travel.

From what we are witnessing on the ground, there is a genuine concern within the profession that the NHS is being gradually reshaped into a system that may, over time, resemble a private, insurance-based model rather than a publicly funded service free at the point of use.

This is not something we say lightly.

The NHS was founded on the principle that healthcare should be available to all, regardless of income. We are increasingly concerned that these principles are being eroded.

Continuity of care and what is being lost

At Priory Medical Centre, we are particularly concerned that we are being increasingly driven towards an NHS where continuity of care and long-term care are being eroded.

There appears to be a growing focus at a national level on access and numbers — in simple terms, seeing as many patients as possible, as quickly as possible.

While access is important, this approach risks:

General practice has never traditionally been an emergency service. Its strength has always been in:

We are increasingly being pushed towards a model where GP practices are expected to:

While this may help relieve pressure elsewhere in the system, we are concerned it comes at a cost.

This type of system risks:

Ultimately, we fear this will lead to a deterioration in the long-term health of the population.

Why we are telling you

We believe you have a right to understand what is happening within the system that looks after you.

We also believe that meaningful change will only happen if patients and communities are aware, engaged, and able to make their voices heard.

How you can help

If you share these concerns and want to support the future of a publicly funded NHS, we would encourage you to contact our local Member of Parliament:

As your elected representative, she has the ability to raise concerns in Parliament and advocate on behalf of our community.

Hearing directly from patients can make a real difference.

A shared future

We want there to be an NHS for our children and grandchildren — one that remains accessible, fair, and free at the point of use.

At present, we are genuinely worried that this future is at risk.

We do not say this to alarm you unnecessarily, but because we believe in being transparent and honest with you.

We have never felt more concerned about how healthcare may look in the decades ahead.

Our commitment to you

Despite these concerns, please be assured that we remain fully committed to:

Thank you for your continued trust and support.

Yours sincerely,
Priory Medical Centre