NHS BRADFORD AND AIREDALE Introduction to GP Consortia Damien Kay GP Commissioning Development Lead

NHS BRADFORD AND AIREDALE

Introduction to GP Consortia

Damien Kay

GP Commissioning Development Lead


Introduction to GP Consortia

• Why is it happening?

• Who is involved?

• What will they do?

• How will they do it?

• When will it happen?

• Questions and Answers?


Why?

• The government wants to change the NHS.• It wants you to have the right help to stay

healthy and to get better when you are ill.• It wants fewer managers and better value for

money.• Because people are living longer and need more

health services.• Because GPs (local doctors) see patients all the

time and are the best people to know what they need.


Who?

• GPs will form into groups called GP Consortia. Every local doctor will be part of one.

• They will have someone who makes sure they improve services and spend public money properly (an accountable officer).

• They will buy health services for everyone who lives in their area.

• They will work with local people and councils to choose what kind of help they want to buy in (“commissioning”).


What services?

They will buy:• Community health services

(like district nurses and health visitors)

• Services to look after pregnant and new mums and their babies

• Planned operations (like new hips)

• Health services for older people and children

• Services that can’t be planned (like accident & emergency, ambulances and back-up services for when your doctor’s surgery is closed)

• Services that help people who have problems moving or doing day-to-day tasks after being ill (occupational therapy and physiotherapy)

• Wheelchair services• Mental health services


What services?

• Services for people with learning disabilities and difficulties

• Services for people with health problems that will last all of their lives

• The can also decide to work with the Council to buy services to improve people’s health and keep them well


What will they do?

• Make sure that services meet patients’ rights (the NHS Constitution) and treat people the same (health inequalities)

• They can go into partnership with other groups of doctors

• Work out what health services people need and buy them

• Write contracts and agree them with the people providing the services

• Keep a watchful eye on the services that they buy – Are they doing what they are

supposed to do?

– Do they improve people’s health?

• Making sure that the services of local doctors are good quality

• Not spend more money than they have in their budget


What will they do?

• Making sure the rules are followed and that deadlines are met (governance)

• Working with other partners – like the education department and carers’ groups

• Make sure they don’t the law – on human rights, employment, keeping people safe and making sure people are treated the same


What?

Another group called the NHS Commissioning Board will plan and buy:

• Services from local doctors, dentists, opticians and pharmacies (chemists).

• Services for people in prison, or in the Army or Navy.

• Services that are done in special centres instead of local hospitals (like children’s heart surgery).


How?

• By working with local people to find out what they think about health services

• The government is leaving it up to local doctors to decide how local consortia will work

• They can work together with other consortia if they want to

• In Bradford we have four “shadow” consortia to see how the plans will work.


How?

• Local doctors are already working with the PCT, the Council and our hospitals to improve services.


When?

• It will take three years for all of the new arrangements to be in place.

• During that time a lot of training and development work will happen.

• By April 2012 the NHS Commissioning Board will begin its work.

• In April 2013 PCTs will close• By April 2013 GP Consortia will fully take over

from PCTs


Questions & Answers

• Do you have any questions you want to ask today?

• What questions would you like to ask a local GP leader in July?

Documents

NHS BRADFORD AND AIREDALE Introduction to GP Consortia Damien Kay GP Commissioning Development Lead