All of the consultation documents and other papers supplementing the recent health white paper 'Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS' have now been published. The consultation period runs through to 11 October 2010. We will be working closely with members between now and then to develop our response.
Summaries of all the documents can be found on our White Paper consultation webpage, along with our initial responses to them. While the white paper proposals signal a big change for the whole NHS, they clearly have particular implications for PCTs which are expected to be phased out from April 2013. We have produced a summary of the plans for the transfer of PCT functions to other organisations and for the role of PCTs in managing this transition, and will update this as further details emerge. We recognise that the coming months will be particularly challenging for PCT leaders and want to assure PCT Network members that we will be doing everything we can to support you and your organisation during this period.
PCT Network priorities and activities
Our immediate and ongoing priorities are highlighted below
To help communicate the critical role PCTs have played in recent years as the leaders of local health systems, the improvements they have made to health care and health outcomes as both commissioners and providers, and the substantial knowledge, expertise and talent of PCT staff.
- This includes analysing and publishing the 2009/10 World Class Commissioning results to ensure that PCTs’ improvement in commissioning is recorded, providing briefings for MPs, journalists and other commentators on the role and achievements of PCTs, informing and responding to media stories and analysis of the NHS reforms, and promoting evidence of PCT-led good practice and service improvement.
To work with members and partners to develop detailed responses to the white paper and its associated consultation documents.
- We are running a number of regional events for PCTs to discuss the implications of the white paper and to gather members’ views to feed into our consultation response and other influencing activities. If you would like further details on how to get involved please get in touch via the contact details in the further information section below.
To continue working with policy-makers to help shape the white paper implementation framework, and with ministers and parliamentarians during the passage of the health bill which will follow, emphasising the importance of strong, committed and focussed leadership during a period of change.
- David Stout, Nigel Edwards and Keith Pearson, chair of the NHS Confederation, are involved in a series of meetings with the Secretary of State, Ministers, members of the health select committee, members of the House of Lords, and senior officials over the summer. Through these meetings and conversations the Confederation’s senior spokespeople are ensuring that PCT members’ views, expertise and experience are communicated to policy-makers on an ongoing basis, as well as through our formal consultation responses.
To support PCTs in transition
- By sharing ideas on improving quality, efficiency and productivity, supporting the transfer of PCT provider services and the accelerated implementation of GP-led commissioning, examining future models for the provision of commissioning support services, and working with the Department of Health and NHS Employers to inform the HR framework for the transition period.
To help bring together PCTs, GPs and their representative bodies, local authorities, patient groups, NHS providers of care and other partners to make sense of the new health policy landscape, and begin planning for the future together.
- We are working with organisations like the Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Psychiatrists, National Association of Primary Care, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Association of Directors of Public Health and many others to examine the implications of the white paper and develop joint positions, responses and work programmes where possible.
Our events and engagement activities
We wish to involve members as closely as possible in shaping this programme of work and we would be keen to hear from you if you have any thoughts about how the PCT Network and wider NHS Confederation can support you over the coming weeks and beyond.
We have organised a series of white paper consultation events and other engagement activities involving PCT chief executives, chairs, PEC chairs, directors, managing directors of provider services and other colleagues.
This includes organising or contributing to the following events throughout the summer and autumn.
- An SHA event in the South West on 19 July
- A meeting with the London PCT chairs on 20 July
- A workshop for the North East PCTs on 5 August
- A meeting of the South East Coast PCT Alliance on 13 August
- A meeting with PCT CEs in the East Midlands on 6 September.
For further information
Please let us know if you would like further details about any of the planned events, or would like us to arrange a meeting in your region. As we will continue to have regular meetings with officials and ministers in the coming weeks, please do not hesitate to contact me to arrange a meeting or call if you would like to discuss any aspect of emerging policy in the meantime.
Please feel free to email me at davidstout@nhsconfed.org or to call me on 020 7074 3223.