Full Article - Published: 20/01/2011

On behalf of NHS Medway:

Preparations are underway in Medway to ensure that the NHS is ready for future changes.

The government’s Health and Social Care Bill, to be laid before Parliament this afternoon, sets out a vision for an NHS where, by 2013, groups of GPs (consortia) will control most of the spending on healthcare.

They will decide what health services are needed locally to meet local people’s needs – ranging from services for everyone to the most specialist kinds of care.

Meanwhile, local authorities will take over planning and paying for services to improve health in their areas, such as Stop Smoking or healthy weight programmes.

In Medway, 12 GPs have been elected by their colleagues to look at options for consortia and make a recommendation to be considered by all GPs in Medway.

Peter Green, Medical Director of NHS Medway and one of the 12 GPs elected by their colleagues, said: “We are examining options carefully and consulting health and social care partners in Medway so we recommend the one that provides most benefit to people in Medway.

“We want to make use of the good local knowledge and close local ties that we have, while at the same time being large enough to be effective and manage the financial requirements that will be placed on consortia.”

As a result of the transition of primary care trust (PCT) functions to the GP commissioning consortia and local authorities, PCTs will no longer be needed. It is planned for them to cease at the end of March 2013.

Helen Buckingham, Acting Chief Executive of NHS Medway, the primary care trust for Medway, said: “We are working with GPs and Medway Council to ensure a smooth and seamless handover which will enable the future NHS to commission even more effectively, resulting in better services for people in Medway.”