Since the Network was launched in December 2006, it has begun to establish itself as the voice for PCTs. This page lists activities month by month.

February 2008

• Stakeholder meeting with Department of Health (DH), Healthcare Commission, Audit Commission and CSCI on how to ensure an integrated approach to the assessment of commissioning
• Meeting with Anna Walker, Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission on the Annual Health Check
• Meeting with Una O'Brien, Director General of Policy and Strategy at the DH on health inequalities
• Meeting with the Office of the SHAs to discuss PCT local accountability
• Attended world class commissioning development programme event
• Meeting with the Local Government Association to develop joint approach to local accountability and the Next Stage Review
• Meeting with FESC suppliers to discuss links with the NHS Confederation
• Gave evidence to the independent inquiry on access to healthcare for people with learning disabilities
• Held PCT chairs confidential forum in Leeds
• Represented PCTs at NHS constitution deliberative event
• Attended a DH system management workshop with PCTs
• Attended Next Stage Review advisory board meeting on primary and community care
• Held a joint workshop with the Mental Health Network on commissioning mental health services

January 2008

• Meeting with David Behan to discuss the Social Care Green Paper
• Invited to Gordon Brown lecture on Future of our NHS: personal and preventative
• Fifth meeting of the PCT Network Board held and included workshop on regulation
• Meeting with NPSA with Martin Fletcher, Chief Executive of National Patients Safety Association
• Meeting with Helen Fentiman from the provider services team at the Department of Health (DH)
• NHS European Unit joins the Confederation and meets with the Network to discuss legislation for cross-border care
• Meetings with Partnerships UK and Newchurch on provider services
• Attended world class commissioning primary care project board on what world class commissioning would mean in practice for commissioning primary care services
• Department of Health System Management workshop defining the roles and responsibilities for the system in the future
• Meeting with Monitor on working with PCTs around commissioning compliance
• Attended world class commissioning board meeting to discuss the development programme for PCTs
• Meeting with Barry Cockroft, Chief Dental Officer at the Department of Health
• Meeting with Anne Williams from the ADASS on areas of common interest
• Network gave evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group on GP access
• Meeting with Sarah Bickerstaffe from the Department of Health on the commissioning of physiological therapies, leading to a PCT Network report on the issue
• Evidence given at the cross-party LGA Health Commission on accountability
• Attended learning disabilities meeting on the transfer of funding and commissioning to Local Authorities by 2009/10

Press releases

10 Jan 2008
Primary Care Trust Network comments on select committee report on NICE

17 Jan 2008
PCT Network responds to the PAC report on prescribing costs in primary care

23 Jan 2008
NHS Confederation calls for strong accountability in the NHS

December 2007

• David Stout presented the 11 commissioning competencies at the Adding life to years and years to life, Department of Health commissioning and system management conference
• Attended NHS Contract stakeholder reference group where the standards for the acute contract were agreed to form part of the Operating Framework for 2008/09
• Attended NHS Next Stage Review Primary and community care services strategy group
• Attended third accelerated strategic learning event on world class commissioning building a support and development programme for PCTs
• Dinner with the LGA
• Meeting with Savas Hadjipavlou, Head of Offender Health at the Department of Health, to discuss joint working on offender health
• Hosted a seminar on PCT accountability with Greg Beales, Advisor to the Prime Minister, and other key opinion formers
• Attended NHS Next Stage Review national workforce planning group

Press releases

13 Dec 2007
NHS Confederation and Primary Care Trust Network comment on Operating Framework 2008/09

November 2007

• First PCT Network Social Enterprise Action Learning Set (SEALS) workshop launched by Gary Belfield, Director Commissioning, Department of Health
• Attended Centre of Excellence in Connected Care steering group meeting
• Fourth meeting of the PCT Network Board
• Attended second accelerated strategic learning event on world class commissioning
• Meetings with NHS Alliance and NAPC on work programmes
• Meeting with the general secretary of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG)
• David Stout chosen as a judge for the HSJ Awards 2007
• Presented at the Managers in Partnership annual conference
• PCT Network members attended confidential forum with David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the NHS
• Attended World Class Commissioning Board meeting
• Presented at Local Government Association conference on partnership working
• Attended Department of Health meeting on the rules of co-operation and competition
• Gave evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body on very senior managers pay
• Presented findings of the PCT Network providers survey at the London PCT policy forum
• Meeting with Care UK
• Meeting with Greg Beales, Prime Ministers Delivery Unit, on GP access
• Attended Department of Health and ABPI Long Term Leadership Strategy in Medicines Partnership working group

Press releases

22 Nov 2007
Primary Care Trust Network comment on Audit Commission report 'Putting commissioning into practice

22 Nov 2007
Primary Care Trust Network comments on written ministerial statement 2008/09 revenue allocations to Primary Care Trusts

29 Nov 2007
NHS Confederation responds to the NHS quarter two financial figures

October 2007

• Chaired dinner on tackling health inequalities at Conservative Party conference fringe event
• Meeting with Mark Davies, Director of System Reform & Partnerships, Department of Health, on working with the Home Office on crime reduction
• Attended Local Government Association/Department of Health workshop on health and social care working arrangements
• Invited to join NHS Networks PEC Chair Network meeting
• Presence at NHS Employers conference including PCT Network open session and workshop on developing commissioning skills
• Meeting with Ivan Eliul, Director of Planning, Department of Health, on the Operating Framework
• Attended the NHS Contract stakeholder reference group
• Attended Office of Health Economics Commission workshop on using patient outcomes in commissioning health care
• Meeting with Andy McKeon, Managing Director of Health at the Audit Commission, on the links between allocation, deprivation and efficiency
• Attended Department of Health accelerated improvement event on responsive General practice
• Meeting with North West PCT chairs
• Attended Payment by Results programme board meeting
• Meeting with David Behan, Director General for Social Care, Department of Health
• Meeting with Ann Keen, Minister of Health
• Meeting with Mike Horah, Head of Health Inequalities, Department of Health
• Attended the National Children and Adult Social Services conference, Bournemouth
• Attended the LAA Health and Wellbeing National Workshop

Press releases

11 October 2007
PCT Network responds to association of directors of public health survey

18 October 2007
PCT Network responds to the Healthcare Commission Annual Healthcheck

September 2007

• Invited to attend Local Government Association Community Well-being Board
• Third meeting of the PCT Network Board including session with Mark Britnell, Director General of Commissioning and System Management at Department of Health, on world class commissioning
• Meeting with Gary Belfield on Practice Based Commissioning
• South West regional membership meeting
• Invited to join national implementation team on primary care access
• Chaired NHS Partners focus group with Department of Health on world class commissioning
• Meeting with Anne McLaren from the Healthcare Commission on the annual health check
• Meeting with Humana
• Meeting with Mark Britnell to discuss primary care access
• Attended NHS leadership event on vision and values for the NHS
• Co-produced Department of Health event on world class commissioning with the NHS Institute
• Attended the NHS LifeCheck Board
• Meeting with Julie Jones, Chief Executive, Social Care Institute for Excellence
• Attended PMDU workshop on the PSA targets for Child Health

Press releases

9 September 2007
PCT Network comment on IPPR great expectations report

9 September 2007
PCT Network comment on CBI report on clinical governance

13 September 2007
PCT Network respond to PAC report on clinical governance

14 September 2007
PCT Network comment on deafblind uk report into experience of NHS

August 2007

• Meeting with Tim Crayford, President of Association of Directors of Public Health
• Meeting with Ann Williams, President of Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
• Invited to join Department of Health Reference Group on developing a strategy for the health of health professionals
• Invited to join Department of Health's National Improvement Team for primary care access
• Meeting with James Kingsland, Chairman of National Association of Primary Care
• Meeting with Mark Britnell, Director General of Commissioning and System Management at Department of Health

Press releases

• 30 August 2007
  PCT Network opinion piece in HSJ on GP access
  
  

July 2007

• Key involvement in the development of the Department of Health's programme on what world class commissioning should look like
• Invited to join NHS Institute Commissioning and 18 weeks expert panel
• PEC chair dinner with David Nicholson, NHS chief executive and Mark Britnell, Director General of Commissioning and System Management at Department of Health
• Second meeting of the PCT Network Board - notes available on the PCT Board page
• Evidence to Health Select Committee on NICE
• Invited to join Department of Health NHS Leadership Event
• Invited to join Department of Health Commissioning Capabilities Thinking Group
• Meeting with NICE to discuss PCTs involvement in the NICE appraisals process
• Joint event with LGA on commissioning and procurement
• Invited to join NICE Commissioning Programme Steering Group
• Meeting with Helen Bevan from NHS Institute of Improvement and Innovation
• Attended Department of Communities and Local Government meeting on local area agreements
• Joint conference with LGA on health and well-being partnerships
• London PCT policy forum: Master Class for London Commissioning Leaders - How the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement can help

Press releases

• 11 July 2007
  PCT Network comments on prescribing schemes in PCTs
  24 July 2007
  Primary Care Trust Network comments of GP Patient Survey
  Report
• 11 July 2007, Healthcare Finance
  Opinion piece for Healthcare Finance - David Stout
  
  

June 2007

• London PCT dinner with Lord Hunt
• Invited to join Department of Health External Stakeholder Reference Group - Development of new NHS contracts
• PCT allocation workshop with Department of Health
• Meeting with Audit Commission
• Meeting with Ian Gilmore, President of Royal College of Physicians
• Meeting with Department of Health on Community Foundation Trusts
• A joint seminar with the Foundation Trust Network that looked at the 2007/08 model contract. Find notes on the recent events page.
• PCT representatives at dinner with Healthcare Commission top team
• West Midlands regional membership meeting
• Inaugural PCT Network Annual General Meeting with David Nicholson as guest speaker
• Intervention Thresholds Seminar
• Presentation at IDeA/LGA National Councillor Network for Adult Social Care and Health meeting
• Meeting with the Department of Health on the Community equipment services review.

May 2007

• Inaugural Board meeting. Constitution agreed, chair and vice-chair elected and work programme topics decided. Notes available on the PCT Board page
• Chairs forum with the Secretary of State. Notes available on the recent events page
• Dinner with Ivan Lewis MP and voluntary sector representatives to discuss commissioning relationships
• Meeting with Baroness Gould, Chair of the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV
• Presentation at Community Care Live event
• Presentation at LGA conference on elected councillors who are members of NHS bodies
• Focus group discussion at north east regional membership meeting
• Meeting with NHS Confederation Commercial Associates
• Attended workshop with the Audit Commission on primary care provision
• Meeting with the Audit Commission on comprehensive area assessments.

Press release

• 29 May 2007
  PCT Network elects new Chair and Vice Chair
  
  

April 2007

• Published Partnership working: the facts
• Dinner with Local Government Association
• Evidence to Prime Minister's Delivery Unit review of commissioning capability
• Joint event with Healthcare Commission on 2007/08 PCT Annual Health Check
• Meeting with Paul Corrigan
• Invited to join Department of Health Third Sector and Social Enterprise Delivery Board
• Focus Group discussion at East of England regional membership meeting.

Press releases

• 5 April 2007
  NHS Confed PCT Network comment on BMA's GPC guidance - safeguarding patients, maintaining cost-effectiveness
  5 April 2007
  NHS leaders call for less blame and more honest communication between health and social care
  
  

March 2007

• Profile in the Guardian and an opinion piece on top-slicing in HSJ
• Focus group discussions at north west and south east regional membership meetings
• Meeting with Bill Moyes, Chief Executive of Monitor
• Meeting with Anna Walker, Chief Executive of Healthcare Commission
• Meeting with President of Royal College of General Practitioners
• Dinner with voluntary sector providers
• Invited to join the Health Visiting Review steering group
• London PCT policy forum seminar: Commissioning primary care in London.

Press release

• 16 Mar 2007
  NHS leaders call for less blame and more honest communication between health and social care

Article

• 8 March 2007 HSJ online
  Financial crisis in the NHS - David Stout
  
  

February 2007

• David Stout starts as PCT Network director
• Invited to join the Department of Health Payment by Results Programme Board
• Evidence to Health Select Committee on Patient and Public Involvement
• Meeting with Duncan Selbie, Director General at Department of Health
• Invited to sit on a reference group for reviewing the role of the PEC
• Participated in the development of the Department of Health's Commissioning Framework for Health and Well-being
• Invited to join the NHS Life Check Board.