What will that do to continuity of care? Word of mouth that the surgery 'up the hill' is marvellous will prompt an outbreak of people trying to register. Quality will go down due to overload. The practice will no longer be 'marvellous'.
People will look elsewhere as they become dissatisfied with the quality of care, or with not being able to see the GP when it's convenient for them, because their GP is visiting a sick patient who happens to live 30 miles away. This boundary scrapping just wasn't thought through before it was publicised.
I am appalled that we have to think about competing for patients rather than looking after them!
Wendy Blackwell, nurse, Gwynedd, north-west Wales.
