GP at Hand in talks to form its own primary care network

Babylon’s GP at Hand practice is in talks over becoming a single primary care network, in a move which GP leaders warned risked further destabilising the wider system.

GP practices across England are in the process of forming collaborative networks covering 30-50 000 patients, which will allow them to access additional funding for patient services. Practices have until 15 May to submit their application to register to join a network.

GP at Hand has almost 50 000 patients registered at its “digital first” NHS GP practice in Hammersmith, west London, and believes it is “well placed” to become a single network.

But GP leaders said such an agreement would contradict requirements agreed by the BMA and NHS England1 that networks must be developed within local geographical boundaries, given that a vast …