Issue 5: Cost targets; polyclinics; Care records; Healthcare according to Boris
Cost vs care – mutually exclusive?
Source: Medical News Today, 29th April, 2008
The NHS is too focused on keeping down costs at the expense of quality patient care, according to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Today at its annual Congress, the RCN will be calling for a new era of targets and health reform that are care driven not cost driven.
We think Dr. Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN, may be preaching to the converted here. The NHS has always been about care above all else. There’s a simple equation that needs to be managed: good financial management = more money to spend on provision of care = better care provided. We don’t think a focus on care and financial success are mutually exclusive.
Londoners support polyclinics…
Source: PharmaTimes, 6th May, 2008
A consultation in London on Health Minister Lord Darzi’s Healthcare For London plan for the introduction of polyclinics across the capital has met with public support.
…but Scottish GPs don’t
Source: Healthcare Republic, 2nd May, 2008
Local Medical Committees called for the immediate resignation of health minister Lord Darzi.
It seems polyclinics are continuing to unite and divide in equal measure. But we can’t see Brown heeding the advice of Scottish GPs and getting rid of Darzi. Once again, we can’t stress enough the importance of being ahead of the game.
New GP surgeries to open at weekends
Source: The Times, 5th May, 2008
Patients will be able to visit their GPs at evenings and weekends at 12 new surgeries around England, under new government plans.
Alan Johnson couldn’t spell it out any clearer – the government wants to provide more services closer to where people live at convenient times. GPs have grumbled about extending their hours; these new GP practices challenge their inertia. There’s nothing like a bit of competition to motivate businesses into action.
Summary Care Records: could do better, but there is hope [PDF]
Source: University College London, May 6th, 2008
A key part of the NHS Care Record is the gradual development of the Summary Care Record, which anyone, anywhere in the NHS, will be able to access. The University College London has published its initial findings of the early adopters of the programme.
The evaluation of the ‘Early Adopters’ of SCR has produced mixed results. The general consensus is that (as with most IT implemented across the NHS), the system is currently “clunky” and possibly “too complex”. We hope they can iron out these issues. Despite concerns about client confidentiality, we feel a common usable record of care could provide real benefits.
Credo comment
After a week of local elections and Boris’ victory in London, it seems that a blue wave is sweeping the country. Credo is generally apolitical, but we thought it may be fun to think about what healthcare would look like in a Boris-run future. In his manifesto, we saw a couple of ideas we actually liked - a stress on public health spending, and a rebuke for PCT cross-subsidisation.
For the full article please click here.
