Morrisons looking at introducing in-store GP practices

Fri, 26 Aug 2011
 
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Morrisons is considering plans to enter the healthcare sector by opening GP surgeries in its supermarket stores.

This UK’s fourth-largest retailer is looking to follow in the footsteps of rival Sainbsury’s, which became the first supermarket chain to offer in-store GP services back in early 2008.

A spokesman for Morrisons said: "We are looking at the provision of GP services in the store environment, but potentially looking at a different model to the one Sainsbury’s is GP."

The comments suggest the grocer may be looking to charge GPs for operating in its stores, or could even be planning to become the first supermarket group to directly run GP practices .

Sainsburys currently offers free space to GPs who wish to run a surgery in their supermarkets . The company only has two surgeries in place so far, in stores in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, but recently revealed plans to open six more across the country.

However, the plans have not gone down well with doctors who have expressed concerns about having a GP practice alongside aisles of unhealthy food products, alcohol and tobacco.

Dr David Melville, a GP in Havant, said: "Patients are going to walk into supermarkets past all the donuts, the unhealthy food, the highly salted food, to get to the GP."

"Having a supermarket owning the building could prejudice GP independence."

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