Brighton and Hove doctors refuse to register travellers

Doctors and their reception staff in Brighton and Hove have been refusing to register travellers, health chiefs were told today.

After the NHS sent guidance to try to prevent fraud, some GP surgeries interpreted this to mean that they could not register patents who did not have formal identification.

This included, among others, Gypsies and travellers.

But the Royal College of General Practitioners had brought a successful legal challenge to the guidance, local health chiefs were told by patient watchdog Neil Stevenson.

Dr Stevenson, representing the Brighton and Hove Local Involvement Network (LINk), said that not all family doctors’ practices appeared to be aware that the guidance no longer applied.

He was addressing the annual general meeting of NHS Sussex, the cluster of primary care trusts that commissions health services across the county.

The meeting was held at Hove Town Hall this afternoon (Tuesday 20 September).