On Sun 15 Mar, Paul Attwood wrote:

> > A further point is that our own contractual arrangements are quite
> > different to our American colleagues': the Part II GMS contract
> > remains the default option, even at Level 4, providing a national
> > contract and no increased direct financial risk.
> 
> Not the way I understood it Trims. Thought that GMS funds would be
> directly at risk if poor management or poor budget or for whatever
> reason the money runs out?

This is a common misconception. It is the cash-limited GMS funds which
will be linked with HCHS and prescribing, not the non-cash-limited GMS
i.e. our pay.


> Will spend 30 mins looking at my Prescribing PACT data, out of
> curiousity, but if PCG management want me to do any work, meetings,
> provision of data, comments on data, then this cookie charges BMA
> rates. I did a lot of work for free in FH and my goodwill went with
> that. PCG no payee me no workie and that goes for GMS as well.

There is provision for three quid a head in management costs over and
above Health Authority funding. If GPs get involved I guess there will
be a greater likelihood that at least a proportion of this funding
will go towards obtaining GP advice.


> > Every PCG will be headed by an "Accountable Officer" - this is the
> > person who will be accountable for the "rationing" decisions and
> > the clinical and financial performance of the PCG. There will also
> > be a person responsible for "Clinical Governance".
> 
> As long as Accountable Officer has a phone number which will be
> given to irate patients and MPs then no probs. Clinical Governance
> wot no Big Brother officer? :-((

Yes, the Accountable Officer will be clearly identifiable. With power
comes responsibility.


> > I would rather have Doug Black than one of our HA colleagues.
> 
> I agree! I would rather trust another clinician than *any* short
> term health authority employee who looks no further than his Profit
> Related Pay or own advancement up the slippery NHS pole. Saying that
> I was watching a colleague the other day who spends a lot of time on
> Committees etc and to be honest I looked at him then at the HA bods
> and I couldn't tell the difference (Animal Farm).

When you spend a lot of time on HA committees you learn the parameters
under which HA employees operate. Yet you also remain sensitive to the
issues which concern GPs. At least I hope so. I am still, after all, a
*full-time* GP.

Who do you want to lead your PCG? An appointed official or an elected
colleague?


Trims.


-- 
Dr Ian Trimble                        http://www.sherwood.demon.co.uk/
Sherwood Health Centre              
Elmswood Gardens                                 Tel: +44 115 962 4516
Nottingham     NG5 4AD                           Fax: +44 115 985 7899



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