Press release: Prime minister's plans for GPs have big implications for how primary care trusts are run
20 Mar 2001
Responding to the Prime Minister's announcement of extra funding for GP practices (1), Stephen Thornton, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said, "if we are going to get the best out of this initiative, we will need to make sure that the new primary care trusts, set up by government to manage primary care, have the resources to be able to design and run a large number of individual practice-based incentive schemes. This would be a tall order for them given their present management allowances."
"Providing incentives is an important part of modernising the NHS, but we must make sure that we do not just concentrate GPs' efforts on doing more and more work, but on doing things differently. Care can be improved by looking at the whole pathway of care experienced by patients and asking if there are new and better ways of delivering the service. We would urge that the new incentive schemes concentrate on this. We understand from sources in the Department that the guidance being drawn up on their implementation will stress the need for cross-practice working, something the Confederation would welcome."
Ends
Notes for editors
The NHS Confederation is uniquely placed to be the voice of NHS management, as the only membership body for all NHS organisations. Our members include more than 95% of NHS trusts and health authorities in England and Wales; primary care groups; health boards in Scotland; and health and social services trusts and boards in Northern Ireland. The new English primary care trusts have joined.
1) Department of Health release '£100m to modernise primary care services', 19.03.01
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