Clinical leadership essential in reconfigured PCTs, says Secretary of State for Health
Patricia Hewitt: need for clinical engagement is greater then ever
before |
Strong and continuing leadership from all clinical professionals is essential in reconfigured primary care trusts.
This was the message from Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health,
in her speech to the New
Health Network conference in London last week.
Mrs Hewitt acknowledged that there is a fear that reconfiguration of
PCTs will lead to clinical disengagement as it did in some areas when
primary care groups changed to PCTs, but said that “the need for
clinical engagement is even greater today”.
Where PCTs merge, Mrs Hewitt said she expects them to create effective
structures for clinical engagement both at the PCT level and within neighbourhoods.
Strong professional executive committees will provide the foundation
to create these structures, she said. She also suggested that PCTs should
consider asking PEC members to support and mentor local practices in
their move to practice-based commissioning.
Where PCTs remain within their current boundaries, Mrs Hewitt said that
PECs face a new challenge: “Helping the PCT to strengthen further
its ability to hold the local acute hospital to account, to deal with
any problems that might result from payment by results, to challenge
it to move services into the community, and work with GPs and other providers
to make that happen.”
She added that PEC members will also have a central role in ensuring
that the PCT is providing practices with timely, useable information.
“I look to local clinical leaders to take up the opportunity and
be involved in shaping PCTs’ new responsibilities,” she concluded.
Mrs Hewitt said that she would be writing to all PEC chairmen last week
to explain how she sees the opportunities for PECs and to urge them to
stay involved. John Carr, a practice pharmacist and chairman of the PEC
at East Staffordshire PCT, last week voiced
concerns about the future of PECs in reconfigured PCTs (PJ, 15 October, p476).
Speaking to The Journal this week he said that he had not yet received
a letter from Mrs Hewitt but cautiously welcomed her comments that doctors,
nurses and other health care professionals should be actively involved
in PCT leadership. “However, I would want to reserve judgement
until receiving the letter to know whether this is truly reassuring,” he
said. |
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