Come on all you proactive pharmacists the time has come to engage and collaborate with your CCG and local GPs. NHS England is looking for new and novel ways of working that put patients first. Did you get the change to read the following by Dr Mike Bewick, Deputy National Medical Director?
‘Top down or bottom up?’ is a question we ask time and time again in the health service, especially since the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act which was designed to give greater power to local clinicians in the commissioning process.
However, whilst the structures have changed, tensions still persist between national and local, and between those with a desire to innovate and those cynicical about change.
In August last year, NHS England launched the Call to Action for General Practice, to help stimulate debate amongst GPs and other key stakeholders on how best to develop general practice services fit for the future.
NHS England has now published the emerging findings from the Call to Action which focuses on the central role NHS England wants general practice to play in primary care. It describes the ambition for greater collaboration with CCGs in the commissioning of general practice and sets out how transformational change should be led locally, according to the needs of local populations.
The document also offers independent analysis of the 521 consultation responses, which is now being used to inform ongoing engagement with key groups. The analysis also brought out a number of issues, ranging from the need for IT systems to be aligned across primary and secondary care, to pooling resources to better enable integrated working.
Feedback makes it clear that we need to provide more proactive, coordinated care and support for patients with long term conditions and complex needs.
There’s no doubt that things have to change if we are to provide the primary care services patients expect and deserve. Some of this needs to be done centrally, but the changes that will have the biggest impact will happen at a local level.
You are already a key figure in the local community with access to patients and customers who never go to their doctor.
Make the phone call now, make an appointment and sit round the table and you may be surprised what you might be doing this time next year and how much more job satisfaction you might have. I you want to bounce your ideas off us you are most welcome to get in touch.