Dear Colleagues
As you may know I recently attended the meeting of NHS Chief Executives held in London.
Andrew Lansley, Sir David Nicholson, David Flory and David Cameron were all there and a few key messages came across loud and clear.
The messages were the need to promote integrated (health and social care) commissioning and provision, the need to continue to focus on providing quality services especially during the transition, the need to improve the basic care that is provided especially to vulnerable patients and the need to increase our focus on dementia and other long term conditions.
The running cost for CCGs, excluding any quality premium, was also announced; the figure of £25 was confirmed and although, we'd have liked more, it was expected and certainly in BwD, we'll do our best to make it work.
Locally I am publishing an article in the Council’s Shuttle newspaper explaining the changes locally to patients and urging them to be involved in the decisions that are taken regarding the type of care they receive.
I will be advising them that the CCG intends to work with the many neighbourhood forums that already exist via the council networks with the aim of ensuring that the goals of the CCG going forward are the shared goals of us all.
My article will stress that as health professionals despite the very difficult financial times that we are currently facing it is extremely important that we do not allow the quality of care to drop despite the significant pressure on resources.
We all have our part to play in this;patients need to ensure they use the services we have appropriately and as health professionals, that we provide the most cost effective care delivered in the most appropriate setting.
I have no doubt that together, we can succeed in improving the health and well being of us all.
