Top doctor 'very nervous' over new drugs policy

DOCTORS could be forced to make life-or-death decisions for patients under new proposals for the health service, the country's most senior GP said today.

Laurence Buckman said plans to transfer powers from drugs rationing body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to GPs, on deciding which drugs should be funded would put doctors in a difficult position as they could be the ones having to deny patients access to treatments. Dr Buckman, who runs a practice in Finchley, said: "The thing I find worrying is this suggestion that you go to your GP and your GP decides whether or not you can have that particular drug.

"This is going to make GPs the rationers of healthcare and many will feel very nervous about that."