Work to establish a GP consortia is in an early phase of development with the LMC leading the process. The LMC are to hold a local meeting with GPs to debate how to take things forward locally including consortium size and geography, how GPs can get involved, the process around elections or appointments to the consortium board, organisational form, appointment of executives and so on.
The Transformational Commissioning Board continues to work apace. Bulleted extracts from the last meeting’s minutes are included in this ebulletin, as well as this month ' s agenda. The clinical leads generally present updates/initiatives and are accountable for delivery. The Contracting and Procurement Committee makes the final decision regarding commissioning and decommissioning to ensure probity. Tom Phillips sits on this committee (with Malcolm Ridgway substituting when required)
Clearly in this time of austerity and cuts, many of us are feeling the pressure of trying to do more for the same or less. The LMC is closely involved and of course from time to time disagrees with what the TCB and Contracting and Commissioning committee decide. When this happens we try to resolve the differences or jointly come up with alternatives. Treatment room is a case in point, with everyone up to the CTP’s Managing Director, Neil Matthewman, trying to come up with workable solutions for a service that is under unbearable strain due to the 12 fold increase in phlebotomy workload over the past few years.
The Community Nursing Service is also facing major efficiency savings targets and there is a major managerial review going on at the CTP with 25% reduction in management this year and a further 11% next. A Single Integrated Management Team has been formed with the Council in order to improve productivity further. The Acute hospital Trust is in a similar position with expected 3% reduction in PBR (Payment By Results) tariffs next year and our demand management initiatives starting to kick in (eg reduced new to follow ups, care closer to home, improved referrals and admissions processes). In reality we are all in it together and only by working together and understanding each others problems and pressures, will we get though this difficult period.
Malcolm
