The coalition is facing more protests today over its plans to abolish Primary Care
Trusts. But PCTs are ripe for abolition. Their bureaucracy and management costs have ballooned in recent years and they have been wildly unpopular in some parts of the country for their role in
pushing for hospital closures. They have failed to make the NHS more efficient and innovative and they have been responsible for many of the heart-wrenching cases of patients failing to get drugs
for conditions like cancer.
In contrast, GPs are one of the most trusted groups in the NHS. Yes, there are examples of poor practice, but generally patients have high respect for their local doctor and the decisions they
make. In turn, most GPs are fed up with having a centralised bureaucracy impinge on their professional judgment. This is why many experts, including Policy Exchange in its 2009 report, Which Doctor?, have recommended for some time that GPs should be in control of the budgets for patients’
care.
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