Special surgeries for teenagers in GP shake-up

Specialist surgeries for teenagers could be introduced as part of a shake-up of the GP service announced today.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt also promised to review GP appointment systems and the out-ofhoursservices provided by local doctors. Her proposals will be included in a wideranging public consultation forming the basis of a White Paper on primary care services to be published later this year.

Other plans up for consideration include allowing patients to register with a GP near work rather than home, and giving family doctors the right to order diagnostic tests themselves instead of referring to hospitals.

She also promised to look into the shortage of GPs in major cities. "In some inner-city areas there are simply not enough GPs. It is very difficult to get registered, or to get the quality of service the public need," she said.

"Most GPs don't want to offer the out-of-hours services themselves. We will be exploring that with patients, including the possibility of GP cooperatives," Ms Hewitt told the Guardian.

The reforms could also include specialist surgeries for teenagers as a means of encouraging more people, particularly young men, to see their doctor.