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Chairmans' Blog
13th December 2011
"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated" Mark Twain
I suppose that the binary nature of the media is just a fact of life. Everything is always the best or the worst; lost or saved; black or white. Presumably that is what draws us to it: the search of certainty and sensationalism in an uncertain and usually mundane world.
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Chairman's Blog
28th November 2011
I don't know how many of you have been watching The Frozen Planet series on the BBC but I was struck by the huge periods of total darkness and total light that engulf both poles. In reality this was something I already knew but got to experience in a more tangible way through the exploits of others. If left me with a greater appreciation of the hardship that the wildlife has to endure. It seemed that perhaps the best times involved a balance of light and dark rather than the two extremes.
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Chairman's Blog
24th November 2011
On Tuesday 22nd November we had an excellent evening at the Royal College of Physicians looking at the challenges around diabetes and integrated care. A mixture of health professionals in the auditorium heard about the challenges ahead and the need to think differently about meeting the needs of people with long-term conditions through a more integrated approached to healthcare.
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Chairman's Blog :
11th November 2011
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Mahatma Gandhi
Last week's NAPC conference felt like it was a great success. Much of the gloom that surrounded the Commissioning Show 2011 following the political response to the Future Forum report seems to have lifted. The mood was much more positive towards the development of CCGs with delegates wanting to know more about what others were doing so that they could in turn be more effective. The opportunity to network with over 500 other delegates with a common purpose reminded us all that support for Clinical Commissioning is alive and well and our voice within our various professions should not be suppressed by our professional bodies.
The highlight for me was the panel discussion featuring Steve Field, Nigel Edwards and Paul Corrigan (in no particular order apart from stage right). They blended insight, cynicism and humour with great effect. The major concern of delegates was around central determination by the NHSCB and insufficient autonomy for CCGs. The panel concluded that the NHS needs a strong centre setting national standards and providing assurance to the whole system, but also a strong local voice in meeting local health needs. This strong local voice would be forged from a partnership between CCGs, Local Authorities and the Public they both serve.
With respect to autonomy, this is something that CCGs perhaps need to seize rather than wait to be "promoted" to them. If CCGs are fixed on action that improves the health of the local population, improves the experience of patients and delivers value for money from within their available resources they would seem to have earned the right to autonomy." What CCG that achieves all this will be chastised for exceeding their running cost allowance?", the panel was asked.
It seems that it will be easier to seek forgiveness than ask permission.
Dr Johnny Marshall, NAPC Chairman
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This was the week that was..
These last few weeks have been extremely busy in the office with the reforms going through the second reading in the Lords. At the NAPC we remain totally focused around ensuring we always remember that we are a membership organisation and we need to continue to represent the views of our members.
It is becoming clearer that save for future changes to the bill in the Lords, it is still the case that the units from which the Clinical Commissioning Groups re made up from are the Practices and these should remain the unit which is at the heart of the changes.
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