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Ireland
PCT name Changes
We have been
notified of a number of recent name changes for April 2002:
- Lowestoft PCT- will become Waveney PCT when it merges
with South Waveney PCG in April 2002.
- Dales PCG will become Durham Dales PCT and not Dales PCT
as originally suggested.
- Middlesbrough and Eston PCG will become Middlesbrough
PCT, not Middlesbrough and Eston PCT.
- Sunderland PCT - this merger of the three Sunderland PCOs
will be known as Sunderland Teaching PCT.
Teaching PCTs (tPCT)
We now
have confirmation of the eight new Teaching PCTs from April 2002:
- North Tees PCT
- Bristol North PCT, Bristol South West PCT (joint
application)
- Slough PCT
- Luton PCT
- Lincolnshire South West PCT (leading for joint
application from all PCOs in Lincolnshire HA)
- Heart of Birmingham PCT
- Haringey PCT
- Blackburn with Darwen PCT.
This is in addition to the three existing tPCTs:
- Bradford City PCT
- Salford PCT
- Sunderland West PCT (Sunderland PCT will be 'teaching'
when they all merge)
Personal Medical Service Pilots (PMS
Pilots)
The 1st and 2nd wave Pilots are now well established.
Response has been positive, with most practices embracing PMS and enjoying the
benefits of improved patient care and more flexible working. It has, however,
highlighted areas of concern around the support given to PMS Pilots from higher
up the NHS chain of command, but many of the Pilot practices are expanding
their services and are wholeheartedly committed to this way of working.
2002 Charter Marks
More than
60 NHS organisations have won recognition for providing high quality services
in the form of a charter mark. Three of these are Primary Care Trusts:Dereham
Hospital - Norwich PCT, Bridport Community Hospital - South west Dorset PCT and
West Dorset Wheelchairs Service - North Dorset PCT
Doncaster Central
PCT
Doncaster Central PCT, in the first national pilot, is
pioneering the use of the NHS Clinical Assessment System, staffed by nurses, to
get patients faster and more appropriate access to primary care. Nurses have
also been trained to provide clinics that treat minor illnesses.
South Peterborough PCT
South
Peterborough PCT has issued a leaflet to staff to prepare them for a CHI
clinical governance review as one of eight pilot sites. The pilots have
submitted clinical governance policy information to CHI, which will be used to
identify areas for attention. The 17-week programme starts this week, with
action plans published around June. A full roll-out to all PCTs will start in
the autumn.
South Manchester PCT
The plan
to develop a £20 million community hospital in Withington has been given
the go ahead by both South Manchester PCT and Manchester HA. It will include
the first Diagnostic and treatment Centre (DTC) in the North West. These
centres are part of the national policy of providing a range of non-urgent, day
case treatment away from main hospital sites.
Pioneering GP Education
GPs in
Barking and Dagenham are taking part in a pioneering educational programme
which brings GPs together in one place at the same time for group learning. The
Protected Time Initiative is a new idea in the NHS.
Local
Improvement Finance Trust
Blackburn with Darwen PCT, in conjunction
with the rest of East Lancashire, has bid for the next wave of LIFT (Local
Improvement Finance Trust) funding. This is the public Private Partnership
introduced by the Government to fund the modernisation of the Primary Care
estate. Their bid was successful which will attract substantial funding into
the area for improvements to the premises and enable more joint working with
other agencies "under one roof".
Bedford PCT implements 'Action on
ENT'
Bedford PCT has been successful in its bid for funding both for
capital funding to improve ENT and Audiology Services and to run a national
communications pilot (jointly with the Queen's Medical University Hospital,
Nottingham) to implement the Action on ENT programme.
New Cancer Centre
A new
multi-million pound cancer centre for the West of Scotland will be up and
running by 2007. Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm announced his formal approval
for the second phase of the replacement of Glasgow's Beatson Oncology Centre
with a state-of-the-art facility at Gartnavel that will be one of the finest
cancer treatment centres in Europe
Cancer services receive additional
£10 million
Cancer services in Scotland are to be given an
extra £10 million of new investment over the next two years to step up
the drive to reduce waiting times, it was announced on the 21
February.
Health Bulletin to be discontinued
The Health
Bulletin, which is on the HSP, and provides a comprehensive summary of news and
articles relevant to all Scottish doctors is to be discontinued at the end of
January 2002. The Scottish Executive are not sure at the moment what, if
anything wil,l replace it.
Pharmacy Plan
Improved access
to pharmacies, safer use of medicines, and maximising the expertise of
Scotland's 4000 NHS pharmacists are three key features of Scotland's first
Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care. Produced in consultation with patients,
pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, it was launched on the 4th Feb
and highlights steps to be taken so that patients can get the best and safest
use of their medicines. It includes plans for pharmacists to be given
responsibility for writing prescriptions and changing dosages without having to
consult a GP. Flexible arrangements are envisaged, including home visits for
certain patients.
Bridging fund announced for Cancer Care
Society
A one-off bridging fund to allow the services provided by
the Cancer Care Society to continue after they withdraw from Wales at the end
of February, has been announced by Welsh Minister for Health and Social
Services Jane Hutt.
Making a statement on 29 January 2002 Jane Hutt
said: "I was deeply concerned to hear the news that the Cancer Care Society is
to close its operations in Wales. I know that the services they provide, both
the transport and befriending service and the drop in centres, are highly
valued by people in Merthyr, Mountain Ash and the surrounding areas".
Award for Pembrokeshire GP
Practice
Winch Lane Practice based in Haverfordwest have been
successful in achieving the Royal College General Practitioners Quality Award.
As the first practice in Wales to achieve this prestigious award, the Winch
Lane Primary Care Team have worked extremely hard to implement the standards
required. QPA is a process which allows every member of the practice team the
opportunity to become involved in improving the quality of both practice
systems and clinical care. The Quality Practice Award is awarded to practices
that can produce written evidence documenting their ability to meet high
quality criteria, which is verified by a multi-disciplinary team visit.
Drugs Prevention web-site
launched
The first, regional, comprehensive website addressing all
issues relating to drug misuse and prevention was launched on 15 January 2002
at the Health Promotion Agency by the Northern Ireland Drug and Alcohol
Co-ordinator, Jo Daykin -
http://www.drugsprevention.net
2002/2003
Budget
The budget for 2002 to 2003 is £2,528m. The HPSS
spending will be £72m higher than planned in June 2001. This includes
£41m for new service developments. |
