30
1996 — 2026 · South East London

Three decades
of care &
commitment.

From five GP facilitators in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham to a multi-million pound healthcare co-operative serving over two million patients across South London — this is our story alongside the NHS.

SELDOC Healthcare
1996 Founded
2m+ Patients Served
Good CQC Rating
GP-led Co-operative
Scroll
0 years
In Operation
Est. April 1996
0 m+ patients
People We Serve
Across 7 CCG areas in South London
0 k
Patients in Year One
From 58k patients in our first year to over 250k patients annually by our 30th year
—
CQC Rating
Care Quality Commission
100 + practices
GP Partners
Across South London
0 %+
Patient Satisfaction
Consistently for 5 years in SEL
Our Story Through Time

SELDOC & the changing
NHS landscape

Every NHS reform brought new challenges. Each one tested our resilience — and each time, SELDOC adapted and continued to deliver for patients and partners across South London.

SELDOC
NHS Context
Era 01 The Founding Years · 1995 – 2000
SELDOC
NHS Landscape
Origin
1995
Five GP Facilitators Appointed
King's College London appoints five GP facilitators from Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham to develop a GP-led out-of-hours service.
NHS Context
Early 1990s
GP Workload Crisis
Mounting out-of-hours workload damages GP morale. New contractual changes allow practices to collaborate on OOH provision for the first time.
Founded
April 1996
SELDOC is Born
South-East London Doctors On Call launches as a GP co-operative from Dulwich Hospital. 110 practices across Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham sign up from day one.
NHS Context
1996
The Co-operative Era
GP co-operatives emerge nationally as the preferred model for OOH delivery, driven by contractual flexibility and local clinical leadership.
Growth
1997 – 1998
69,000 Patients & Financial Stability
Patient numbers grow to over 69,000. New leadership stabilises finances and strengthens GP compliance through significant internal change.
NHS Context
1998
NHS Direct Launches
NHS Direct introduces telephone triage nationally, fundamentally changing how patients access out-of-hours care — a model SELDOC would later fully integrate.
Integration
2000
NHS Direct Integration
A major OOH review leads to full integration with NHS Direct, keeping SELDOC aligned with the national direction of primary care reform.
NHS Context
2000
The NHS Plan
A 10-year programme of investment and reform signals a new era of OOH service standards, accountability and quality expectations.
Era 02 Growth & Expansion · 2001 – 2010
Accreditation
2002
DOH "Excellent" — 33 of 36 Standards Met
SELDOC becomes South-East London Doctors Co-Operative and receives a Department of Health accreditation rating of Excellent.
Resilience
2004
Over 90% of GPs Stay With SELDOC
New GP contract allows opt-out of OOH responsibility. Despite a 6% contract penalty, more than 90% of practices remain with SELDOC — a clear statement of confidence.
NHS Context
2004
New GMS Contract
The new General Medical Services contract allows GPs to opt out of OOH, reshaping the landscape and requiring co-operatives to prove their value.
10th Anniversary
2005 – 2006
Restructure, 95% GP Practices and 900,000 Patients
Financial restructuring delivers long-term stability. A&E pilot schemes at King's and Lewisham begin. By our 10th anniversary, SELDOC serves 900,000 people. OOH dental triage launches.
Access
2007
Lambeth, Southwark & Lewisham Access Centre
SELDOC becomes the access centre for patients struggling to book GP appointments across Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham. Full Lewisham A&E integration implemented.
Governance
2009 – 2012
Clinical Governance Framework & New Board
Deputy Chair leads development of a Clinical Governance Framework. SELDOC moves from a council to a board structure. SELDOC also begins working with GSTT on their new @home service.
NHS Context
2009
National Quality Requirements
OOH quality standards are formalised nationally, raising the bar for all providers and demanding robust clinical governance frameworks.
Era 03 Regulated & Multi-Borough · 2011 – 2018
Regulated
2012
CQC Registration & Lewisham UCC
SELDOC achieves Care Quality Commission registration. Services within Lewisham A&E are redeveloped to provide OOH GP support to the new Urgent Care Centre.
NHS Context
2012
Health & Social Care Act
Landmark legislation establishes CCGs, abolishes PCTs, and embeds the CQC as the independent regulator — changing the accountability landscape for every provider.
New Contract
2013
Sutton OOH Contract Won
SELDOC successfully tenders for an OOH service in Sutton — the beginning of geographic expansion beyond south-east London.
20th Anniversary
2016
South-West London — 120 Practices, 2 Million Patients
SELDOC relocates to Hanover House, Norbiton, and becomes fully operational across Kingston, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth, adding 100 extra practices. SELDOC starts working in partnership with Vocare providing the 111 Service.
NHS Context
2016
Five Year Forward View
NHS England drives integration of primary care and collaborative service models — the very approach SELDOC had been building for two decades.
Transformation
2017 – 2018
New CEO, Surplus Achieved, CQC "Good"
New CEO & management team turn a previous year deficit into a healthy surplus. Pharmacists and nurse practitioners join frontline clinical roles. CQC rating of Good awarded in 2018.
Era 04 Through the Pandemic & Beyond · 2019 – Present
Financial Strength
2018 – 2019
£14.2m Turnover & 111 Triage Integration
Turnover reaches £14.2m with surplus reinvested. The Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham service reconfigures so all calls are initially triaged by 111.
NHS Context
2019
NHS Long Term Plan & PCNs
Primary Care Networks are introduced. The Long Term Plan sets a direction for integrated, community-based services that SELDOC is well-positioned to support.
Pandemic Response
2020 – 2021
Covid Clinical Assessment Service & £3m Returned
SELDOC rapidly establishes a Covid Clinical Assessment Service. Financial position holds — enabling £3m to be returned in cash to GP members despite the extraordinary pressures of the period.
NHS Context
2020 – 2021
COVID-19 Pandemic
The NHS faces its greatest peacetime challenge. Resilient community-based infrastructure proves its worth. SELDOC steps up and delivers throughout.
New Contracts
2022 – 2023
A Year of New Services & Partnerships
SELDOC partners with PPG to run the SEL OOH Face-to-Face service.
New contract with GSTT GP Hub and Heathlands Court Step-down Service.
New LAS Clinical Assessment Service launches.
New service with St John's Hospital extended access.
Introduction of SELDOC palliative care pilot to improve OOH access to end-of-life medications — recognised through the Marie Curie ICB Seminar series.
New Contracts
2024 – 2025
Five New Contract Wins in Under 18 Months
June 2024 — Fiveways PCN Enhanced Access
September 2024 — LAS CAS Framework
November 2024 — Stockwell PCN Enhanced Access
January 2025 — Brixton PCN Enhanced Access
October 2025 — King's College Hospital Urgent Treatment Centre
NHS Context
2022
Health & Care Act — ICSs in Law
Integrated Care Systems are established in law. A new era of system-wide collaboration — and new opportunities for organisations with SELDOC's 30-year track record.
30th Anniversary
2026
Three Decades of Uninterrupted Care
SELDOC marks 30 years of GP-led, patient-centred urgent care across South London — a rare milestone amongst healthcare providers.
Today
2026
Primary Care Under Pressure
The NHS continues to face workforce, access and demand challenges. As a GP-led co-operative with 30 years of proven resilience, SELDOC is more important than ever.
Moments That Defined Us

Six moments that shaped who we are

1996
Born from necessity, built on clinical leadership
Launched from Dulwich Hospital with 110 practices and a vision for better out-of-hours care across Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham.
2004
When GPs had the choice — over 90% chose SELDOC
The new GMS contract gave every practice an option to relinquish their 24/7 patient responsibility. The vast majority stayed. That loyalty is one of our proudest achievements.
2016
From South East to South West London
Expansion to Kingston, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth — 100 practices, 2 million+ patients, one co-operative.
2020
Stood up when it mattered most
Our Covid Clinical Assessment Service kept patients safe through the pandemic, proving the resilience of our clinical model under extraordinary pressure.
2021
£3 million returned to GP members
Financial strength through one of the NHS's hardest periods meant we could give back — re-investing £3m in cash to our GP member practices.
2026
30 years — and the momentum is building
Five new contracts in under 18 months. King's College Hospital UTC, PCN Enhanced Access across Fiveways, Stockwell and Brixton. The best is yet to come.
What Our Partners Say

Trusted across South London

"

SELDOC are an engaging organisation to work with. Their experienced, knowledgeable team respond promptly and most importantly deliver.

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
NHS Partner
"

SELDOC are a trusted partner who are open and honest, willing, able and reliable. We hope to have long term relationships.

Practice Plus Group
Integrated Urgent Care