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A GROUP representing more than 1,000 doctors across north London has called for an immediate halt to massive NHS cuts that could close surgeries in Islington.

Dr Tony Grewal, medical director of North Central London (NCL) Local Medical Committees (LMCs), has written to the chief executive of NHS London about a plan to wipe £230million from the health budget.

He told Ruth Carnall that decisions had been taken without consultation with the public, experts and with “little clinical evidence” for the “reduction in ser­vices”.

He told the Tribune the health authority was considering “pulling the plug” on GP practices and the “health service was going broke”, adding: “People may not want to weep tears for the poverty of GPs, but they will when there are none there to help them.”

The changes – being implemented by NCL under its Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) programme – include a controversial practice called list-cleansing where thousands of patients who have not visited a GP for a long time are wiped off the surgery list.

Dr Grewal said in his letter to Ms Carnall that “poorly planned list-cleansing exercises may lead to erroneously removed patients being unable to access services until they have reregistered”.

He added that a plan to “bring care closer to home” was not being matched by funding to boost community services and criticised a decision to ban 25 low-priority treatments.

Under government reforms, all major decisions by NHS bosses must now meet four tests introduced by health secretary Andrew Lansley. The tests – including public consultation and clinical need – have to be passed before decisions can be signed off.

Dr Grewal told Ms Carnall: “It is clear that, contrary to the four Lansley tests, there has been no engagement or consultation with local GPs, the LMCs, public, patients or local authorities. Until such time, we would appreciate your assurance that the current process be halted.”