Renewed push for private sector to challenge traditional GPs
pharmafile | July 25, 2007 | News story | |Â Â Â
The government is to ask the NHS managers to look again at using the private sector to improve primary care services, particularly in the most deprived areas and those with the fewest doctors.
Primary care trusts have been urged to bring in private sector companies to provide services for the last few years, but the government has indicated that too few PCTs have used alternative providers to stimulate competition and improve services.
To kickstart local initiatives, the Department of Health's primary care czar Dr David Colin Thome will now lead a team to help PCTs make use of private providers.
PCTs will be expected to produce local action plans to improve access to services where problems exist, and have been told to look again at existing powers to invite new providers in, as well as suggesting further means to stimulate change.
To help create extra 'patient power' to drive change, the government says it will also provide patients and the public with more information about how their local GP services compare to others.
New data made public will include practice opening hours and the times GPs are available for appointments, results from the national patient survey, core indicators of patient experience (from the Quality and Outcomes Framework) and what extended services the practice offers.
The government says this data, to be made available on the NHS Choices website will be 'an important first step' in improving the information for patients, which will feed into other initiatives to improve primary care.
Billed as part of the NHS Next Stage review, the government will consult with NHS managers and clinicians to consider current incentives for GP services to see how GPs might achieve even better outcomes for patients.
The Next Stage review is to be led by Sir Ara Darzi, the NHS surgeon newly appointed as a government minister to win hearts and minds in the reconfiguration of hospitals and other services.
Patient survey
The announcement has been somewhat overlooked in relation to the news concerning a survey of patients' views on current GP services.
The poll found more than 80% of respondents were satisfied with their ability to get through to doctors on the phone, and to book an appointment within 48 hours.
A similar percentage said they were satisfied with the current opening hours in their practice, but among those who were not happy, nearly half said they wanted the practice to open on a Saturday and a quarter said they wanted the practice to open on a weekday evening.
Health secretary Alan Johnson said the survey was "a clear vote of confidence" in GP services, but added: "It is also clear that there are variations across the country and there are a significant number of patients who are less satisfied. It is crucial that the 21st century health service responds to these challenges and that is why I have asked Sir Ara Darzi to consult with clinicians and patients on this topic and ensure that the NHS Next Stage review is in a position to come forward with proposals to improve access and the convenience of healthcare services."
But Johnson also indicated the PCTs need not wait for the review to be completed, and urged them to take the lead in change immediately, using the new patient survey to re-shape services.
"I want PCTs and practices to now scrutinise this data and use it to improve services to patients – building on best practice, making improvements and tackling inequalities where they exist.
"I am particularly concerned about areas of deprivation where there is greater need for GP services, but fewer available compared to more prosperous parts of the country. All patients in this country, no matter where they live or what their background, should enjoy first-class primary care services."
Despite the survey results about access, Johnson said he wanted to see more convenient opening hours and more GPs in deprived and less well served areas.
The health secretary has also asked Mayur Lakhani, chair of the Royal College of GPs to chair a group to look specifically at the issues of dissatisfaction with NHS services expressed by some ethnic minority groups.
