EAST Lancashire GPs have expressed their anger at a new initiative which is set to axe patients from doctors surgeries if they haven’t visited for five years.

Under the initiative, those who have not seen their doctor for five years will be sent two letters asking them to respond, but if they cannot be contacted they will be removed from the practice list and will have to re-register.

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The idea is to find out whether patients no longer require services or have moved house, left the country or died.

Dr Paul Fourie, based at Witton Medical Centre in Blackburn, said he was extremely disappointed with the news insisting that it was completely unfair on patients who find themselves regularly well.

He said: “It’s very disappointing this news.

“GPs are at a crisis level with increasing demand, so you can see this is a way of saving money.

“But the other side to this is that you do get an extra allowance for people you see 10 times a week compared to people you see much less.

“Some people get more out of the NHS than others, that is the way the NHS works.

“It seems crazy to me that people who are well are going to be taken off the list.

“It’s inevitable that if you are young and fit that you will require a GP less.”

GPs are paid for every patient on their list and on average they receive funding of about £136 per registered patient.

NHS England has employed private company Capita to lead the drive, known as ‘list cleansing’, to cut costs to the NHS and ensure accuracy over which patients use which services.

Dr Tom Smith, the Lancashire Telegraph health expert, said he was ‘horrified’ about the initiative.

He said: “It’s incredible that this has been decided, I am horrified.

“GPs get the same pay per patient whether they visit often or not and it is going to take up GPs time doing the paperwork finding these patients.

“Very little money will be saved and the cost of finding these patients will be immense.”

Russ McClean, East Lancashire Patients Champion, said: “I am absolutely appalled at this idea and I will be writing letters to CCG’s urging them not to implement this initiative.

“There is increasing pressure on GPs and A and E at the moment but what I will say is that some people go to the GP for things as simple as paracetamol whereas some will not go unless they are on their death bed.

“It is frightening that the latter are the ones that are going to get cut off.”