Meet your GP new executive committee
Blackburn with Darwen’s new GP executive committee, tasked with representing the views of the borough’s GPs, have put together short profiles to reveal a bit more about themselves.
Their introductions include their aims for the borough, their views on the challenges ahead and a bit about their interests outside of health care (and declaration of support for Manchester United may even have sneaked in there).
Dr. Chris Clayton, Chair of the Executive Board
As the new chair of the executive board I would like to tell you a bit about my vision and goals for the new board and some of the challenges, which I expect we will face.
As a full time GP and trainer I understand the pressures and demands of general practice.
I am also aware of how challenging it will be for us to take on these new responsibilities.
However, I am in now doubt that this is an exciting time for us and the rewards will be numerous with the improved delivery of health care, better outcomes for patients and a guaranteed future for general practice.
I believe that general practice should and will be central to the ongoing improvement of the community’s health and wellbeing; supported by the rebuilding of practice based multi disciplinary care.
On this journey one of the biggest challenges we will face is the increased expectation of GP accountability and scrutiny of the delivery of outcomes at a practice and population level.
This will inevitably bring new and added pressure to our working lives.
However, ultimately my aim is for the hard work of Blackburn with Darwen’s GPs to be recognised regionally and nationally, for the successes we have achieved to date and for the improved patient outcomes that we will deliver in the future.
But we can only succeed through the participation of every GP within the consortium. As chair I guarantee that I will be open and accessible and will work tirelessly to include all Blackburn with Darwen GPs, on each and every step of the way.
Dr Zaki Patel
First and foremost I would like to thank our colleagues who voted for me personally and the whole consortia in general.
It is a position of great responsibility at a time of great change and we are also thankful for all the support we are getting from members of the PCT, Council, LMC and others.
I have been a full time G.P. working at Brookhouse medical centre in Blackburn for the past six years. I also work for the East Lancashire Out of hours medical service on a regular basis.
I enjoy working in both environments and I have gained valuable experience and insight into current practice and patient needs in Blackburn with Darwen in this period.
I am the assistant lead for the Unscheduled Care QIPP work stream along with Dr Ridgway whose vast experience I hope to take advantage of. I am also helping Dr Clayton and colleagues to finalise an innovative new community DVT service.
In my spare time I exercise a little and entertain my 2 year old daughter a lot! I also enjoy watching football (armchair supporter!)
I believe we can improve care in BWD in many ways, however I believe our focus must be on prevention and health education.
The NHS is facing many challenges and the greatest one is of ever increasing cost with limited resources.
In order to prevent our health system from heading the way of many others including places like the USA where health insurance is essential, we need to make our NHS more efficient.
This can only be done by better education of the patients, general public and ALL staff working in the health service.
I did not know any of the GP's on the consortia personally before the consortium election, however after having been working together over the past 3 months, I am confident that we have a very well balanced yet variable team with a mixture of experience, knowledge, determination and fresh vision to deliver a quality service that the patients and staff of BWD will want to be part of.
The consortium will only be a success with all of us working together and communicating well with each other. We have to try and make it OUR NHS, not THE NHS.
Dr Muzaffar Pervez
A big thank you to all the GP colleagues who voted for me to be appointed to the consortium board.
I expect it to be an interesting, challenging and difficult time ahead.
My personal ambition for the executive board is to improve the health and well being of our Blackburn with Darwen population.
We will be communicating, involving, engaging and executing the plan in consultation with the community, individual patients, our GP colleagues, allied professionals, secondary care, council, voluntary organisations and other relevant organisations.
I strongly believe that Primary care lead health service is capable of delivering the best health and wellbeing out comes.
As GPs we all know the needs of our patients and community.
Our GP colleagues have the knowledge, skills and attitude to deliver this.
I hope that by working together in partnership we can achieve our goals.
I urge you our GP colleagues to give us feedback, send your comments and suggestion to improve further.
We will be depending on your support and advice.
Personally I have a very positive and bright outlook for our local population.
We can achieve it - ‘things which have never been achieved or even tried before are being achieved every day.'
On a personal note, I am a good 'Asian food' cook.
I like to do a bit of exercise and watch my favourite football team - clue tops all the clubs in world.
My ultimate ambition is to go to Africa to help the people there.
Dr Tom Phillips
As a working GP who has been in family practice in Blackburn for over 40 years I am looking forward to the opportunities that GP commissioning will bring.
I was particularly keen to help drive these changes as I have been involved in local medical politics, patients' services and primary care for around 20 years.
I was also chair of the practice based commissioning in its infancy.
I believe that now GPs are the decision makers we can drive the improvements in health care in the borough.
Short term it is necessary to help people understand the economic challenges that we face. Our communities will have to acknowledge the funding situation that we face.
However, I believe by involving people in their choices we can both improve outcomes and make efficiencies.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that many people are referred and further investigated who don’t need to be.
They may not want an operation or don't understand the complications that are potentially involved. It is likely in many cases they would have opted for an alternative treatment.
By improving patient involvement and education we can avoid some of this over-referral and over-investigation.
In addition, one of the things I would like to see happen is consultants brought in to primary care to help educate and train up staff as well as integrating in new care pathways.
There is no one better placed than a GP who knows his community well, to help drive the improvement of patient outcomes and to avoid over referring and over investigation.
On a personal note I am a father of two who plays golf and watches football to relax. Dare I say it I’m a Manchester United Supporter.
Dr Malcolm Ridgway
The future of commissioning and indeed the health economy in Blackburn with Darwen now rests with this borough’s GPs, commissioning and working together with all our stakeholders.
This will be complex and demanding for all of us.
We are now in a transitional phase, moving from the PCT to fully fledged and autonomous GP Commissioning Consortium in 2013. There is a great deal of uncertainty due to this state of flux, which will cause stress and stagnation unless managed properly.
This new way of working will need much greater levels of engagement and accountability.
Many of the functions that PCTs currently manage will be our responsibility and will include developing the commissioning support structure and function, working with the Health and Wellbeing board, Council and a variety of agencies, the public and the media.
The financial challenge is unprecedented. The next four years will each require £6 million plus of savings to be made, on top of all current cost improvement programmes. We are now actively working on this and will need your support as never before.
Yet we cannot neglect our main priorities of improving outcomes and reducing health inequalities for our population and supporting the clinicians and staff who work in the NHS.
Whilst this is incredibly challenging, I have no doubt that GPs and other colleagues will rise to the challenge and deliver improved services with happier, more motivated staff, since clinicians will be making the crucial decisions. I therefore see this as a fantastic opportunity.
On a personal note I am taking my pension at 55 (i.e. this summer) so will be looking to reduce my weekly work commitments to 3 (or possibly 4) days per week.
I will use this free time to spend more time in our cottage in the Eden Valley, finish my Jaguar XK120 kit car, relax and most likely, if my wife Diane has anything to do with it, do more housework/cooking/walking the dogs/gardening etc!
Dr Alistair Murdoch
I am delighted to have been elected to be one of the members of the executive of the consortium.
What motivates me is improving the care of our patients and the need for GP leadership, both in the sense that we can achieve things together and also in the sense that GPs should be in the driving seat.
Whether the consortia will have this, will depend a great deal on whether we lead well and work well together, regardless of what policy eventually comes out the woodwork.
We all want outcomes for our patients to improve, but I share the view with many others that pratting around the edges will only achieve limited improvements.
We need to have a completely different way of relating to secondary care where we can genuinely co-operate to produce a better way of doing things for our patients.
In the meantime, we need to save a lot of money, so I’ve agreed to work with Tom Phillips in the area of “Community Care” especially COPD and diabetes. (I must be mad!)
I’m looking forward to our journey together and was greatly cheered by the recent GP meeting at Witton Learning Centre. Long may the lively debate and genuine interest continue!
I’m my spare time I play badminton, time with the family, garden, go on walks and read.
What are my priorities for Blackburn with Darwen? To improve patient outcomes while staying sane!
