Yesterday's announcement that all 302 Primary Care Trusts in England will be abolished by 2013 with more power given to GPs represents a complete about-turn from the Coalition Agreement of less than two months ago.
Yesterday’s announcement that all 302 152 Primary Care Trusts in England will be abolished by 2013 with more power given to GPs represents a complete about-turn from the Coalition Agreement of less than two months ago, which promised directly elected patient representatives on PCT boards and pledged that local PCTs “will act as a champion for patients”, commissioning services best undertaken at a wider level “rather than directly by GPs”.
The agreement, pages 24-25, clearly states:
• We will ensure that there is a stronger voice for patients locally through directly elected individuals on the boards of their local primary care trust (PCT).
The remainder of the PCT’s board will be appointed by the relevant local authority or authorities, and the Chief Executive and principal officers will be appointed by the Secretary of State on the advice of the new independent NHS board. This will ensure the right balance between locally accountable individuals and technical expertise.
• The local PCT will act as a champion for patients and commission those residual services that are best undertaken at a wider level, rather than directly by GPs.
It will also take responsibility for improving public health for people in their area, working closely with the local authority.
At no point does it mention their abolition, but quite the opposite, namely that PCTs would be stregthened and democartised. Now, they are in fact going to be split up between councils and GPs – yet even the supposed accountability to local councils isn’t fully democratic, as they will also be answerable to a national body.
Earlier today, Left Foot Forward looked in detail at the health secretary’s white paper, highlighting one of the most fundamental problems the plans will encounter – that most GPs do not want the hassle of strategic planning, negotiating multi-million pound budgets and making unpopular decisions about NHS service organisation and costs – and asking whether the white paper marks the beginning of the end of the NHS.
27 Responses to “PCTs: From being “champions for patients” to being abolished – in just two months”
Chris WashingtonSare
RT @leftfootfwd: Primary Care Trusts to be abolished in the UK. http://goo.gl/mivh > Thatcherism creeps back
Anon E Mouse
Chris – Funny isn’t it that (aside from resorting to the foul language in public) you immediately dismiss decent Labour MP’s and thinkers such as Charles Clarke etc who aren’t tribal and put the public before their own political ambition.
After my whole family have voted Labour our whole life – and I mean Labour not your version of some party where the class warrior John Prescott plays croquet on the lawn or a countesses niece , Harriet Harman id deputy leader – we certainly won’t be again.
From your childish post I feel safe to assume that you are considerably younger than me and may I suggest at your next student debating society meeting you ask why Frank Field was wrong to suggest removing the 10p tax rate would hurt the poor.
Remind me how Gordon Brown could state that taking more money from the poorest in our society would raise their economic circumstances please.
(Not that you would be familiar in anyway with the more disadvantaged in our society Chris I’d like to bet…)
Liz McShane
Anon – I think you can rest assured that voting Lib Dem (at least if led by Clegg) will get you a Tory Government & policies.
Anon E Mouse
Liz McShane – Tory government? Are you mad woman!
Since when (under Ken Clarke) did the Tories say “Prison isn’t working” or advocate a banking tax (agreed on by the European Union)?
You can’t tell me this doesn’t feel different and the Lib Dems are in government now Liz – they can make a difference unlike that last useless bunch.
Oh and as you know the things that you and others challenged me on in this fine blog have been proven right in my case – read what Peter Mandelson says in his book. I was right about the sad state of Labour and still am.
I won’t gloat but it is nice to be proven right and hordes of others here who called me numerous offensive things may wish to now retract what they said…
Dave
I am not sure what the Tories expect to achieve with abolishing PCTs and SHA’s, sure they expect to save money on management costs, but have they considered that the management is actually needed.
Firstly, 99% of GP practices are private organisations. They are not NHS empolyees they merely hold an NHS contract. Therefore why is the government planning to give control of multi million pound contracts (public money) to private business men and women.
Secondly, how are GP’s going to commission the vast array or services needed to meet the needs of local populations? They will need to buy in help, which they could do from private organisations. Probably organisations said GP’s have some stake in. Conflict of interest, I would say so. Also these companies providing commissioning advice need to turn a profit, therefore there will be a cost. Considering PCT’s have been doing this job for years, surely they are better placed to act as commmissioners? I would also put good odds on the private companies who are willing to sell commissioning advice are also providers of care services, another conflict? Yes, of course it is.
Thirdly, the government is asking PCT’s to ensure they work effectively until a hand over in two years time whilst trying to save £20billion in efficiency savings. So for two years, PCT’s will be making their own coffin, reality – not going to happen.
The whole paper appears to have hardly been thought through, consultation – well that appears to have been just talking to a handfull of GP’s, the said GP’s who will benefit from the changes.
Did anyone see there recent Nuffield report, showing less than 20% of GP practices actually manage their budget effectively, can you imagine giving them billions?
Will this work? Who knows, however the evidence so far suggest there is alot more work to do.