Welfare Reform on the Web (September 1999): National Health Service - Community and Primary Care Services

A DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR PRIMARY CARE GROUP LEADERSHIP.

NHS Confederation and the NHS Executive Phoenix Agenda

London: 1999

Practical step-by-step guide to the effective leadership of primary care groups.

EVALUATING PERSONAL MEDICAL SERVICES PILOTS

C. Jenkins, R. Lewis and S. Gillam

British Journal of Health Care Management, vol. 5, 1999, p.236-238.

Personal Medical Services pilots are using local contracts to tackle health inequalities, particularly in areas such as the inner city, where General Medical Services are seen to have failed. The King's Fund has been working with four London pilot sites on their evaluations, and this paper presents early messages from the first year of data collection.

FIRST AMONG EQUALS

S. Wellard

Community Care, no. 1274, 1999, p.26-27

Fears that Primary Care Groups would be dominated by health care professionals appear to have been unfounded. Article shows how Social Services representatives are using primary care groups to promote joint working.

GPS AND CONTRACTS: BRINGING GENERAL PRACTICE INTO PRIMARY CARE.

C. Glendinning

Social Policy and Administration, vol.33, 1999, p.115-131

Both the 1997 NHS (Primary Care) Act and the white paper "The New NHS: Modern, Dependable" offer new organizational and financial frameworks within which health authorities can secure the services of GPs. These alternative frameworks provide opportunities to specify a range of activities, quality standards and outcome objectives for individual GPs and GPs working in teams alongside nurses and other professionals. Although GPs are likely to continue to defend the profession's independent contractor status, more and more GPs may choose to opt for these alternative arrangements, especially if they avoid the administrative workload and out-of-hours responsibilities of independent contractors.

GPs DEMAND SLOWDOWN ON NHS REFORM.

D Brindle

Guardian, June 25th 1999, p.5.

Representatives of Britain's GPs have attacked the introduction of NHS Direct, the telephone advice service for patients, and walk-in clinics. These developments threaten continuity of care and challenge the GPs' cherished role as NHS gatekeepers.

(See also Daily Telegraph, June 25th 1999, p.10)

HEALTHCARE HELPLINE NURSES WITH THE SAMARITANS' TOUCH

S. Buckby

Financial Times, June 1st 1999, p.8

Describes NHS Direct in West London, the largest of the nine pilots of the 24 hour medical helpline, which will be available nationally from Summer 2000. Reports that one caller in three has their case concluded over the telephone. One in five is referred to a GP - run out of hours health centre for urgent clinical attention. One in ten receives a home visit the next day. Of the rest, some are asked to see their GP, and some are put straight through to 999.

LENDING A HAND

J. Smith, E. Regen and J. Shapiro

Health Service Journal, vol., 109, May 27th 1999, p.24-26

The evaluation of the GP commissioning pilot programme has revealed a number of important messages for PCGs. The evaluation has shown that:

• high-quality dedicated management support was crucial to the GP commissioning pilots;
• a fifth of the pilots reported difficult relationships with their health authority;
• there are concerns about bringing prescribing 'outliers' in to line;
• involving the public will be a considerable challenge for PCGs.

MEETING THE NEED

K. Lock

Community Practitioner, vol.72, 1999, p.157-158

Presents a system of health needs assessment (HNA) developed by Calderdale and Kirklees Health Authority. The HNA process has three steps:

• profile the community and decide on a wish list of health needs;
• using criteria, systematically decide on health issues to be tackled by the team;
• analyse each health problem and decide on team action.

Finally, considers how needs assessment could be used in primary health care.

NO AGREEMENT ON HR AS PCT DEADLINE NEARS

P. Healy

Health Service Journal, vol.109, June 24th 1999, p.7

Managers and trade unions are concerned that agreement will not be reached on key human resources issues affecting primary care trusts by July 1st, when the first applications for PCT status can be made.

THE PCG TOOL KIT. 2ND ED.

R. Lilley

Abingdon: Radcliffe Medical Press, 1999

Practical workbook, written in a relaxed and chatty style, on how set up a primary care group.

SIDE BY SIDE

T. Baker

Health Review, Spring 1999, p.11-12

Argues that private GPs and 24-hour medical helplines such as that provided for Norwich Union Health Care customers can reduce pressure on the NHS by filtering out patients with minor problems.

SPECIAL BREW

T. Sweet

Health Service Journal, vol. 109, June 3rd 1999, p.21

Argues that the GP majority on most Primary Care Group boards has the potential to militate against the Department of Health's intention that boards will represent a coming together as equals. It is important that these boards include two nurses rather than one. Nurses need support to question others' attitudes to them, challenge norms and be involved in making decisions. GPs need to value the contribution nurses can make, and recognise the potential for reciprocal learning.

WALK-IN NHS DENTAL CLINICS TO BE OPENED

C. Brown

Independent, June 1st 1999, p.8

Reports that more money is to be pumped into the personal dentist service (PDS) which allows local health authorities to offer contracts to dentists to treat patients on the NHS. Ministers may also end the requirement for patients to register with a dentist before they can be treated.