Annex 9 - Managed lists
It is recognised that in certain circumstances there are difficulties in managing practice lists. In an attempt to offer a practical and transparent solution to patients, practices and primary care organisations (PCOs) the following advice is offered. This advice is provided in the context of promoting constructive working relationships between practices and their PCOs.
In the situation that a practice is unable routinely to accept new patients (beyond immediate family members of existing patients), a discussion between the practice and the PCO should take place to allow the situation to be explored. The PCO is expected to work constructively with the practice to try to jointly achieve resolution. This could take the form of, for example, additional support given by the PCO to the practice. In some situations, practices may wish to use the closed list procedure.
It is recognised that general medical service (GMS) contractors retain their freedom within the contract not to register new patients, provided they have reasonable, non-discriminatory grounds for doing so in each case.