An area which has not been explored so far as I can see in the
relationship between General Medical Services and the NHS Direct pilots
is that if providing a triage package improves the effectiveness of the
health worker then it is hard to justify not providing it for all
health workers who find themselves in the same position.
I think NHS Direct is a good idea, I think it is genuinely a compromise
between what the citizens want, and what the NHS and the State
realistically can provide, and will reduce some of the load we could
not otherwise sustain.
And yet, to provide something apparently so good to a new service just
coming into use while not building it into our national network
connectable GP IT systems seems bizarre.
Perhaps part of the delay in the new IM&T policy is due to recognition
of this?
NHS Adminwallahs who try to hide behind GPs being independent
businessmen, as does the FInance director of N&E Devon when he wants to
excuse inaction, fail in this instance since although PCGs for instance
could build themselves a call centre, and set it up with a networked
appointment system, and one of the triage systems that are available
for NHS Direct, they are specifically prohibited from doing so - we are
allowed to buy fax machines and photocopiers, but not computers modems
and printers - IT for office work or medical work.
Bizarre.
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