Your story “More power to GPs within PCTs” highlights the history of PECs to date
I spent six years on a PEC. On reflection it was largely a waste of time and money – a view shared by several other GPs who were similarly involved.
Our PEC became increasingly populated by PAMs (professions allied to medicine) , which in my view weakened it. The argument by the PCT management team being that dentists and optometrists etc were of equal importance and knowledge to GPs in managing local services. The final straw was when I sent around a spoof email suggesting clergymen be on the PEC and got two serious replies from GP colleagues.
The reality is that GPs are responsible for spending nearly all the of the PCT budget(by referral and prescription) and are in a unique position to know what is needed locally. Whatever the merits of PAMs they do not know how General Practice works and what drives and motivates referrals and prescribing.
Our PCT like many others has disengaged GPs.
Engaging them again is going to be a huge task. Most GPs are just not interested in what they view as a pointless charade.
There also needs to be a reality check over the payment for PCT work
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Perhaps you should have employed the clergy to either bless your attempts to retrieve your hallowed high ground or to call down the wrath of God on the managerial charlatans who have wrecked the beloved NHS.
Or both - since with God, nothing is impossible.
God has not tried to work with our PCT!
Post a Comment