The White Paper - Regional Responses - North East
20 July 2010
Gateshead PBC, GATNET, distributed a response to the White Paper to all Gateshead practices today.
Gateshead PBC, GATNET, responsed to the new White Paper today and sent out the following article to it's member practices.
New white paper - click here to view it
Themes
Opening up of information
- Patients will be able to download records and share with whoever they wish
- Patients at centre of decision making with increased choice on who provides care
- Increased use of outcome rather than process measures, especially PROMs, patient surveys will be revised and continued
- Performance Data made widely available, down to individual clinician level
- Choose and Book improved and heavily encouraged
Change in structure
- Practice membership of a consortia will be compulsory
- SHA/PCTs gone in 2 years
- Local authorities to take on Public Health
- Commissioning Board replaces some of PCT/SHA functions
Regulation
- Monitor and CQC will monitor our financial performance and provider performance
- Consortia will take on performance monitoring of General Practices
Primary Care
- New contract to replace both PMS and GMS
- Practice boundaries removed
- Urgent care/out of hours able to provide home visiting service 24/7, even for routine matters
- Patients able to have email contact with clinicians
Finance
- Real budgets for consortia with no bail outs
- Still need to cut £20billion from the NHS
- PCTs need to cut managemnt costs by 45 per cent by April 2011
- Mental health included in tariff system
- Consortia free to contract out support services to private providers
National Reactions
There are loads in the press nationally, on the whole they are supportive
More views here. A few are detailed below:
GPs
RCGP
'GPs work a the heart of communities, we know our patients and we understand their needs. If this is properly delivered and properly resourced, patients can expect to receive far more personlaised services, focused on their individual needs.'
BMA Chairman, DR Hamish Meldrum said: 'The proposals announced in today's white paper will have a substantial impact on the NHS and patients. We are looking forward to discussin the details behind these new inititatives in more depth and playing an active role in the consultations that follow.'
NAPC Chairman, Dr johnny Marshall said: 'The Coalition's plans provide general practice with an unique opportunity to raise the bar in the commissioning and delivery of care for its patients. The occassion will not present itself again.'
Nurses and HCAs
RCN's Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the RCN, said: 'Nurses will welcome the focus on quality and the move to put patietns in the driving street, however, these radical reforms will not be without risk.
'We welcome the commitment to include nurses alongside GPs in making decisions about local health services and look forward to seeing more detail about how this will be acheived in practice'
Practice Managers
Lots is out there - see the Practice Management Network for an overview.
Have you received a regional briefing on the White Paper? Join the discussion and take part in the debate in the PMN Discussion Forum.