The front-page article on the abolition of the MPIG surprised us (GP, 17 November).
We have been looking everywhere for low-cost private providers of primary care. We would like to know where they are, because we could only find providers two to eight times as expensive as GMS contractors.
On alternative provider medical services (APMS) pay, for a practice our size, we’d be pocketing an extra £200,000 per annum.
Our sums indicate that, if anyone is going to be out of business on GMS pay, it is APMS providers.
The government brokered deals in July, but when we asked for the cost of these, the reply was: ‘I can confirm that the department holds details of the cost of the walk-in centre and GMS, however it is not currently prepared to release this information.’
This was followed by some far-fetched scenario where competition would lead to lower prices, which apparently is not a good thing.
One wonders why APMS costs are shrouded in secrecy; because they are so embarrassingly cheap?
Perhaps this cheapness would frighten the contractors into working harder for less money.
Claire Morgan and Dr Hank Beerstecher
Sittingbourne, Kent
