Health secretary announces end to GP catchment areas

I was rather surprised to hear a Labour minister advocating a policy
that looks tailor-made to increase health inequality by giving a leg up to
the very sector of the population (mobile, young, healthy) that already
find it easiest to shop around for the best care.
Patients in a deprived area served by a 'popular' practice will suddenly
find themselves in competition for the 'good' doctors' time. Patients in a
deprived area served by an 'unpopular' practice which suddenly loses all
the healthier, mobile patients, will notice deterioration as less resource
becomes available to meet the same need level.
Either way the result is that those in greatest need will tend to get less
good care regardless of whether they are in a popular or unpopular
practice. The inverse care law is alive and well and being promoted by
those who should know better.

Competing interests:
I'm a practising GP in a 'popular' growing practice serving a deprived area