The Alzheimer’s Society said that some GPs are refusing to visit vulnerable care home patients unless they are paid up to £36,000 a year, and will only prescribe drugs over the phone. One elderly woman was made to wait in agony for 17 hours after suffering an allergic reaction because the GP would not see her out-of-hours. Some surgeries will not even register patients once they move into a home because they are deemed to take up too much of doctors’ time. A fifth of care homes are being charged a fee for a GP visit, which should be free. Martin Green, chief executive of Care England (which represents care homes), who wrote the report, said patients were being all but abandoned by GP services. 70% of adults in care homes have dementia and need regular check-ups by GPs as well as extra visits if they are unwell or suffer a fall.