New agendas, new thinking, new responses

Released: 17/02/2011

GPs lack clarity and understanding of how the new public health systems – health improvement, health protection, health services – will come together under the reformed NHS, according to a new report released today

The NHS Alliance, QIPP Right Care Team, and NHS Solutions for Public Health have published the findings from a national summit exploring the relationship between GP consortia and public health, and their shared role in improving health and wellbeing.

The report states that there is an urgent need for frameworks and information for GP consortia regarding the new public health systems. These need to provide clarity on respective roles and responsibilities, and options for access to public health support and skills.

Dr Ken Aswani, lead of the Waltham Forest Federated GP Consortium and executive member of the NHS Alliance, said: “These emerging, very different, new systems will cause initial confusion and there is an urgent need for rapid local education over the new structures and how they will work at local level as GP commissioning starts to get real.

“There are tremendous opportunities to make the new system work for the benefit of patients and public, with local systems that deliver improved health outcomes and better value health care.  To make it work will required patience, education, developing shared understanding, flexibility and partnership at local level.”

 

Key findings:

·       The agenda, systems, approach are all new and require a new response – simply responding as we have done in the past will not work.

·       There is confusion, and a lack of knowledge amongst GP colleagues over the new public health systems being established for each domain – health improvement, health protection, health services – what it means for them and how they can access public health support and skills.

·       Delegates were unanimous in their view that GP consortia, to be fully effective, will need access to the advice and support of public health professionals to help make decisions about best use of resources, based on best evidence and value for money.

·       There was considerable agreement about the role of public health in supporting health improvement and health services commissioning; whilst being unclear about GPs role in health protection e.g. emergency planning.

A major concern emerging from the report is that the pace of change will outstrip the need for developing clarity over key elements of the interrelationships between the new public health system and GP consortia. As Sir Muir Gray, Director of the QIPP Right Care team, points out, “There is a short window of opportunity to put this right. Let us not miss the opportunity.”

The Colloquium report is available to download at www.sph.nhs.uk/colloquium

Notes to editors

  1. About QIPP Right Care Team – Right Care is one of thirteen national workstreams in the DH Quality Innovation Productivity and Prevention programme (QIPP). Right Care is an enabling programme focussed on increasing value and improving quality through addressing variation and in particular unwarranted variation, through promoting the use of health investment tools such as programme budgeting, and through sustainable systems and population planning. www.rightcare.nhs.uk
  2. About the NHS Alliance – NHS Alliance brings together GP consortia, PCTs, clinicians and managers as the leading organisation in primary care. We are an independent non-political membership organisation proud to be at the forefront of clinically-led commissioning. Its leaders are all dedicated professionals, who represent the Alliance’s diverse membership, working ceaselessly to meet the challenges facing the NHS today. Find out more at www.nhsalliance.org
  1. About NHS Solutions for Public Health – SPH is a non-profit NHS public health organisation dedicated to better health and better value healthcare for all. SPH works with decision makers across public and third sectors to improve health and reduce health inequalities – helping clients provide the right services in the right place, for the right population, at the best cost and quality. www.sph.nhs.uk


More information about the Colloquium Report

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