Well of course, if you only go to the doctor every now and then to get some antibiotics for a sore throat or whatever, you're not going to be bothered by continuity. But with long term health issues, I'd rather see someone who knows them rather than spend the entire appointment explaining them.

Helen, Northampton,

Polyclinics will be run by private companies who answer to their shareholders, not the patients. They say the shiny new centers will be GP led but the truth is this will only be for a short time, after which, it will be nurse led. Vote for Polyclinics if you can afford to pay dearly to see a doctor

Sam, London, England

Did no one see Gerry Robinson on TV CH4 ask an executive of a Primary Care Trust wanting to set up a Polyclinic' "What are they for?" Answer: "If you are feeling a bit iffy (?!), just drop in to a P>" What nonsense - politicians should be guided by experts, not casual fancies.

JB, Norwich,

GP's need to be completely independent, except that their training and medical school should be of high quality from only the best candidates. They should be paid by each patient directly not by the government or insurance companies which deny payment and corrupt the medical practice.

JD, Honolulu, USA

I agree pts with minor ills often can't see same dr + will not value continuity of care. BUT my pts with 1000 page notes value the fact I understand their history and have time to address their chronic conditions and social situation without spending the whole consult trying to work thru said notes!

Dr Jim, Nottingham, England

The only thing that is certain about the drive for polyclinics is that sooner or later the general public will have to pay commercial rates to see a doctor, because Polyclinic Inc. has its shareholders to answer to.

wilson, london, uk

Many patients at the practice I work at feel it very important to see a regular doctor. Chronic patients need continuity of care and several were quite upset on the recent retirment of one of our partners. Those patients who need acute treatment do not necessarily need to see the same doctor.

Vanita, Epsom,

Ive not heard many GP's talk against their current quasi privatised deal
Im not sure what we have works to the advantage of those that pay
Full privatisation and total choice is needed

John, N Yorks,

I don't think you can talk about continuity any longer, what patients want is good care, not all patients want to sit with a GP and chat endlessly, if that is what they call continuity. GPs pay their salaried doctors peanuts for doing same work, they really can't complain, market forces at work

Karahally, Nottinggham,

'well' people often see GPs with urgent problems and hence see whoever is available - no wonder service seems bad. BUT complex stuff IS usually looked after by one GP. As GPs get a flat rate per patient, and if the 'fit' patient goes elsewhere, complex care will not be viable. Then care will suffer

Dan, oxford, uk

Total nonsense - I have a young family how often have any of us seen "our doctor" in the past eight years, I can count twice.
Locum today, doctor who? today. The doctors have always been a very good at protecting their own interests and then hiding behind we do it for "our patients".

Steve, brighton, UK

My GP practice does not serve mine or my family's needs and hasn't done for years. They should have had a petition for people who support change - that might have been an eye-opener for GPs who are so convinced all their patients support them. Everyone I know is sick of their local practice.

AC, London, UK

One-to-one care? In my work I have to ask people the GP they are registered with, and hardly any can give a name, just the surgery. I also agree with the comments on the Sydney polyclinics - great! Having X-ray facilities on site is hugely important.

Angela, Cambridge, UK

Roll on Polyclinic's, we've seen a different doctor at every appointment in the last 6 years at our surgery. 3 weeks ago I was told to take my ill 5 year old to the local walk in clinic as the GP's were unavailable for emergencies. So why don't they just merge and save on resources?

Liz, Ely, Cambs

Got to agree with the rest. I've been at the same GP's for 30 years and I've never experienced any kind of one-2-one care. Nor have I ever seen anything resembling continuity for those with long term problems. GP care is broken and for the salaries they earn they can deal with any changes needed.

Sam, Sheffield,

Coninuity of care doesn't need patients to see the same GP all the time - it just needs doctors to keep proper records. Of course, a combination of appalling handwriting and total opposition to electronic patient records means this won't happen. Anyway, this is all about money, just like in 1948.

Cleggy, Penge,

Gordon Brown wants polyclinics for several reasons.
By enabling busineesses to bid for contracts (such as virgin) it enables backdoor privatisation. This has the effect of driving costs down shifting the pension burden for employees into the private sector.

simon, crewe,

I'm confused by the terms"doctor / patient rapport" and doctor / patient relationship". I don't think I've seen the same GP twice in 15 years or so.

Anything which improves the accessibility of healthcare professionals must be a good thing.

Jane Mansfield, Bishops Stortford, Engand

Whatever may be the case elsewhere, I have been lucky enough to have a single GP deal with all my health problems for the past 30 years - most of them, fortunately, fairly trivial. A good relationship is not to be scoffed at: it saves time and reduces friction. And my GP knows my medical history.

Tom Welsh, Basingstoke,

This government has once again shown that it is incapable of doing anything right. They believe that if the idea, any idea, sounds good then it is a good idea. If asked if it will work they respond "of course it will it's a good idea" and , yet again, something that will not work is forced on us.

D Case, Newquay,

Everyone I know has knowledge of poor diagnostics and wrong treatment originating from their GP practices. It has nothing to do with one to one 'service' and everything to do with the competence and personal interests of the GP. Locums often make better assesments thru more experience and awareness.

Nora, London, UK

Is a polyclinic any different from a health centre? The latter have been around for years and ours is very good. It's easy to get to and the GP practice is no less personal than if it were in a converted house. I like not having to go to a big, impersonal hospital for blood tests etc.

Barry, Wallington, UK

Instead of polyclinic - read Cottage Hospital.
You remember - the local medical facility that everyone was up in arms about when the government started phasing them out.

GJB, Slough, Berkshire

As a trainee GP I've decided my career will lie outside of the NHS. Private companies might want to keep staff after 10 years of training. Apparently the NHS doesn't feel the same way.

I have a life and family - I'm not a slave to the wants of others.

Richard, London, England

What Doctor Patient relationship? I was recently ill and visited my local GP regularly. In six months I never saw the same doctor twice. I went from one GP or locum to the next .They did their best but to suggest that there is special relationship that enhances paitient care is ludirous.

Rose, London, Enland

I'm in my late twenties and have only seen a GP once in the last 5 years. I had to really fight for an appointment and was treated with disdain by both reception staff and the surly locum. If GPs want us to support them, they need to improve their current level of service dramatically.

Marian, Southampton, UK

GP forums are a bit of a biased source. We have a situation where GPs are unable to treat most patients. All they do is prescribe some anti biotics or refer you.

At least poly clinics will be able to treat people.

Alex, Tunbridge Wells,

My wife (just recently given birth) prefers the one to one GP relationship ....with the only female GP in the practice. Following the birth she wanted an appointment - 2 week wait for something that required urgent attention. The answer here is that we need the option of both polyclinics & 1 to 1s

Michael, Leeds, England

Just part of the government selling the NHS, It is all being privatised. Sure the ministers will be on the board of directors of the company’s the sell to in a couple of years.

Paul, Truro, England

"polyclinics" have existed in Australia for years. They haven't destroyed he traditional GP, but provided out of hours coverage for people and reduced the demand on A&E.

Think about it, they have Xray facilities......

Typical vox populi inefficient navel gazing here.

Jon, London,

don't give a monkey's who i see as long as they are medically qualified and i get prompt treatment. The arguement that patients will have to walk miles to the nearest polyclinic instead of popping in to their GP down the road doesn't wash beacuse the local hospital will be just as far away.

david bowman, london,

Now in my 60's I can remember visiting the family doctor, and there he would be 'puffing away' on his 'cigs'. Quite common then believe it or not! But he was human, warm and aproachable.

Prefer that to the cold indifference of multi GP practices - the place of last resort, if I feel unwell.

Shirley Bowen, Blackpool, UK

I agree completely - this is one of a series of assaults aimed at opening up general practice to the corporate sector. Good some will say. But patients need to know the disadvantages of moving to supermarket style primary care.

Mark Oliver, Stafford, UK

If the wants of "the many" take precedence of the needs of "the few" then we have introduced a fascistic policy into medical services that discriminates against the sick. That should be fought until it is defeated. Hence the BMA's campaign.

Jonathan, Birmingham,

What is one-to-one GP healthcare? I haven't come across it in my entire adult life. In any case all the various doctors I have met have seemed pretty competent. Why do you need the same doctor? So you can have a nice chat I suppose.

kevin, ware, UK

Screw one-on-one care - not everyone even likes their GP. In Australia 24 hour clinics are an absolute wonder - you never have to suffer through the night (and weekend) in pain or fear for yourself or others, and it is far more convenient and quicker for everyone.

Hilary Towers, Sydney, Australia

'One to one' GP care will be lost the good doctor says...I no longer live in the UK, but it was lost a long time ago. The last time I had one on one care in the UK was 15 years ago, after that the multi doctor practice that I experienced meant I extremely rarely saw the same doctor twice, unless I was prepared to make appointments weeks in advance! Anyone who has continued to have one on one care has been very lucky in my experience.

Matthew, Tijuana, Mexico

I have never had a GP relationship - in multi-doctor practices it has been rare to see the same doctor on consecutive visits. Claims to the contrary seem to be an assertion of a Dr Finlay ideal long since lost in cities. As one of the taxpayers paying for this service, I want something I can access.

John Scott, London,

I found dr hopcrott's arguments sedctive until his last paragraph. Citing the opinions of like minded medics contributing to the forum as proof of his arguments' validity is, of course, self serving.

Trevor , London ,

one to one care at GP's was lost years ago in many areas of the country...I've had 5 different allocated doctors in the last 8 years and often they aren't available so I end up with a covering GP pr another member of the regualr practice.

David, Cambridge,