On 03/06/98 08:19:43, Dr Anwar Ali Khan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Unfortunately, there seems to be no escape. There is a great danger of
>dividing the profession with making doctors the "big brother" to keep high
>spending colleagues in check.
My concern is the other way round. I am a low spender. Take for
example, prescribing: for the past 5 years I have under-spent my
indicative budget by 20-30%, achieving something like 65-70% generic
prescribing proportion.
Most of the Practises around me consistently overshoot their drug budget
by the same margin I under-spend!
They recently agreed to spend 40,000 pounds to get in-house prescribing
advice (half day a week each) to help them tackle the problem.
Little do they know that it *their* attitudes that need changing and
there is no amount of 'expert' advice that can change that.
For crying out loud, 40,000 pounds! Just for someone to come along and
tell you you prescribe too much of this, that or the other!
I suggested that the money be spent on incentives for good, rational
prescribers. Oh no, they wanted a bit of expert advice instead.
I refused to take part in this exercise. I even offered to show them
how it can be done for 20% of the any savings I made them realise!
Needless to say, that did not go down very well :-)
So, my concern is that my 'shotgun' PVG will drag *me* down and I won't
have any control at all over the big spenders.
That fact, like Paul said, is bound to affect the amount of money
available to pay GPs.
This is a real concern. I am a solo GP. My voice will be drowned by a
bunch of power-hungry men in white suits.
>What about invloving the local MP in the PCG - however I dont think they
>are as daft as GPs in willing to "take the can" for the sake of power!!
Get real, Anwar :-)
As has been demonstrated time and again in the USA. The HMO model does
not serve the patients, the doctors or the insurers. The only
beneficiaries are the politicians. The system suits them. Why change
it?
Why do you think we are getting it?
Why do you think that we'll probably witness excesses by this government
that will make Maggie look like a kindergarten kid. And I am not a Tory
before you say anything :-)
Wake up. Everybody: please wake up.
Ahmad
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Dr Ahmad Risk
http://www.cybermedic.org
Chairman British Healthcare Internet Association <http://www.bhia.org>
Director Internet Healthcare Coalition - USA <http://www.ihc.net>
Home: +44 1273 724866/748198
Work: +44(1737)240022 Fax: +44 1737 244660
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