45,000 sign petition against 'super-surgery' reforms

A total of 45,000 London patients have signed a petition against plans for "super-surgeries".

Doctors say the document being handed to Downing Street today shows the strength of feeling over the Government's proposed reform.

The plans include 150 polyclinics to replace single-practice GP surgeries and three major London trauma centres. Ministers insist the overhaul will improve care by giving patients access to out-of-hours treatment, minor operations and specialist stroke treatment. But doctors claim it signals the end of the family GP at the expense of "privatesector-profiteering". Linda Critchley, from Barnet, who had eight-month-old twins Lewis and Sienna after a complicated pregnancy, said her local GP was invaluable at the time. Ms Critchley, who is in her forties, said: "I've been very shocked at how little the public know about the proposed changes."