Radical changes are outlined in the Darzi review this week, which leaves GPs facing a very different future.

General practices may find themselves competing with nurse led social enterprise companies to provide services, and some patients with chronic diseases will be able to hold personal health budgets. Doctors are also going to have to publish “quality accounts,” and work more closely with local authorities.

The quality of service provided in primary care will dictate future funding, as it will in other parts of the NHS, and the report makes it clear that GPs will be scrutinised more closely than ever before to ensure that they provide better and ever improving services.

A “fairer” funding system will be developed, says the report, ensuring …