Welfare Reform on the Web (October 2003): National Health Service - Primary and Community Care

AMBULANCE TRUSTS UNDER PRESSURE

Press Association

The Financial Times, September 16th 2003, p.4

Ambulance trusts are altering response times in order to meet government targets. Trusts are expected to reach 75% of 999 calls in 8 minutes and although the Independent Health Watchdog said that response times had improved by 20% since 1999, a third of response times had been altered.

BRITON'S DASH FROM SPAIN BEAT MOTHER'S AMBULANCE TO HOSPITAL 10 MILES AWAY

N. Britten

The Daily Telegraph, September 16th 2003, p.5

A woman who had been taken ill with pneumonia was forced to wait almost eight hours before being taken to hospital. Her son, who had travelled 1,200 miles from Spain, arrived at the hospital before the ambulance.

GOOD CHEMISTRY: A NEW CONTRACT FOR PHARMACISTS

A. Buxton and M. Smaus

Primary Care Report, Vol. 5, No. 4, September 10th 2003, p.38-9

The article outlines the proposed new contract for community pharmacists. The planned structure consists of three different levels of services: essential, enhanced and additional. Essential services include dispensing, clinical governance, healthy lifestyle promotion and medication waste disposal. Enhanced services currently proposed are medicine use review and prescription intervention. Additional services include emergency hormonal contraception, diabetes screening, CHD screening and substance misuse services.

GPS TOLD TO STOP DENYING PATIENTS APPOINTMENTS

O. Wright

The Times, September 8th 2003, p.7

Ministers have insisted that doctors remove their ban on patients making appointments in advance in order for them to achieve the 48-hour waiting times target. Patients groups had complained that the policy discriminated against the elderly, who needed to plan appointments in advance in order to arrange transport. However GPs remain confused as to how they can operate appointments in advance without limiting same day access.

WILL COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS BRIDGE THE GAP?

N. Bostock

Primary Care Report, Vol. 5, No. 14, September 10th 2003, p.14-17

Scottish local health care co-operatives (LHCC's) were voluntary, informal and non-statutory bodies. On their abolition they will be replaced by community health partnerships, which will have a statutory framework and a broader remit. They will be responsible for co-ordinating for their area the planning, development and provision of NHS services.