Patients in England could be removed from their GP surgery's list if they have not contacted the practice for five years, under a new NHS England scheme aimed at saving money. The initiative targets 'ghost patients' – individuals who have died, moved away, or no longer use the surgery's services – for which GPs receive about £100 per year each.
Under the plan, practices will identify patients with no contact in five years. A contractor, Capita, will then send two letters to these patients. If there is no response, the patient will be removed from the list within six months. The scheme follows a pilot and is set to roll out across all 8,000 GP surgeries in England.
GP leaders have criticised the move, warning it could lead to vulnerable groups losing access to care. Dr Robert Morley of the British Medical Association said patients have a right to be registered even if they do not access services, and called for the scheme to be abandoned. Concerns were raised particularly for children and men aged 20–45, who may not respond to prompts.
NHS England defended the scheme, citing recommendations from the National Audit Office and the public accounts committee to ensure accurate patient lists and proper use of public funds. The Royal College of GPs backed the move but stressed the need for safeguards to prevent patients from being wrongly delisted.
