How will PCOs provide for ‘allocated patients’?
A. Primary legislation states that the Secretary of State for Health (or his/her equivalent) has an obligation to allocate patients as a last resort. This is a power that he/she is unwilling to give up. We have developed a three-stage, two appeals procedure to encourage the PCO to deal with the problem up-front and in discussion with practices. The three-stage process will be established to deal with allocated patients. Either a PCO will provide assistance to allow a practice to keep its list open (stage one), or a practice may issue a formal closure notice to its PCO (stage two). If the PCO agrees to the closure of the list this can be either for a period of 12 months, or until the number of patients recorded on the list has reduced by a percentage of the practice list size agreed with the PCO. Should the PCO reject the notice, this will be remitted immediately for determination by an assessment panel under the dispute resolution procedures (stage 3). Remember the act of allocation is
