05 Jul 2001
The NHS Confederation today launched a major piece of work on clinical networks with a discussion paper. Clinical networks are beginning to offer a number of solutions to problems of access, clinical standards, subspecialisation and improving care. Although they are becoming common for specialist care such as cancer, critical care and coronary heart disease they are increasingly expanding to involve primary care.
Commenting on the paper, Policy Director and co-author, Nigel Edwards said: "we are very positive about the opportunities that networks provide for improving care. But applied unthinkingly, we could easily create a situation similar to the railways in the NHS, with services that don't fit together and have conflicting objectives. The potential virtue of networks is their flexibility and clinical involvement. But seizing on networks as the latest structural panacea could destroy much that they have to offer and create a whole new set of problems.
He continued: "Networks do raise a whole series of issues about accountability, governance and how organisations work together. We are in the early stages of learning about this and there will be some difficult issues to resolve. What happens, for instance, when the network says appoint this consultant, use this drug but the local hospital has other, equally pressing, priorities."
Neil Snee, Head of Healthcare Programmes at Roche, which is the partner in the clinical networks project, said: "We are delighted to be supporting the Confederation's work on this important topic because we are committed to helping to investigate and pursue initiatives that will result in better healthcare delivery for patients."
He added: "Networks have the potential to improve care - but probably only in certain disease areas rather than across the board. We hope that this project will help define some of the areas that could benefit and how. Equally we would like the project to point the way for clinicians and managers to plan for how they can use clinical networks for the benefit of patients."
This work forms part of a larger NHS Confederation project to publish documents aimed at speeding the modernisation by promoting new and best practice widely amongst the health service.
Ends
The NHS Confederation Conference is taking place in Manchester between 4 - 6 July 2001.
Clinical networks - a discussion paper is available from the NHS Confederation. Its development and publication is supported by Roche Pharmaceuticals.
The NHS Confederation is the voice of NHS management. Our members include the majority of NHS trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and health authorities in Wales; trusts and health boards in Scotland; and health and social services trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
Roche is a world leading healthcare company with its integration of a broad spectrum of high quality products and services to provide innovative and individual solutions that enhance and maintain quality of life. Roche is the second largest foreign investor in UK healthcare with businesses that employ more than 2,500 people in prescription and over the counter medicines, vitamins and diagnostics. www.rocheuk.com
Roche's Bodywise Healthy Weight Roadshow is also visiting the Confederation AGM. Dieticians and nurses are on hand to check delegates' blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, weight and body mass index (BMI). The roadshow is touring the UK to help raise awareness about the link between obesity and associated health risks. Across the UK, obesity is increasing at an alarming rate; one in five adults is clinically obese and one in two is sufficiently overweight for it to impact on their health.
Last reviewed 25 Oct 2006