My Right to Healthcare: Review
My Right to Healthcare: GP Registration and Access (2019)
It was drawn to our attention that some GP practices restrict access to Primary Health Care to Patients who are legitimately unable to provide identification, contrary to NHS guidelines. Healthwatch MK became concerned about the impact of being unable to register at a GP on the health and wellbeing of some of the more vulnerable groups in our society.
Review (2020)
This report intends to provide an update on the recommendations in so far as the extent to which they have been implemented and a current analysis of the GP registration processes across Milton Keynes.
We were disappointed to find that even with the actions undertaken by the MK CCG and the MK GP Federation, the registration process for people in Milton Keynes has become more difficult for those who cannot provide multiple forms of identification or proof of address.
The recommendations to the MK CCG will now be made to the BLMK CCG and made again to the MK GP Federation. We have also made recommendations to Healthwatch England to escalate the issue to NHSE/I and to the CQC as we recognise it is not a problem unique to Milton Keynes and that, in these times, it is more vital than ever that people can register with a GP quickly and easily.
Because this issue has huge impacts on the more vulnerable and deprived people in our communities, we are also making recommendations to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission around the health inequalities of this issue at a national level.
