PCT change 'is right for Gloucestershire'
16/05/06
The county’s three Primary Care Trust Chairs today welcomed the Secretary of State for Health’s confirmation that there will be a single PCT for Gloucestershire from October 1 saying ‘it was the right decision for Gloucestershire patients.’
In a joint statement Liz Boait, Ruth FitzJohn and Elizabeth Law said the decision provided the new PCT with the best possible platform from which to continue building ever closer working relationships with local partners and service providers which in turn would benefit patients.
“This is a very challenging time for the NHS in Gloucestershire, but we believe that a single PCT for the county will be well equipped to face the challenges ahead and build on the achievements of the current three PCTs. Working with local partners, the PCT will have an important responsibility to ‘buy’ and provide health services that meet the needs of local patients, but at the same time achieve greater financial stability for the longer term.”
An example of this is joint working with county partners in social care. PCTs in Gloucestershire have already been developing a range of exciting services, which mean that more patients are receiving high standards of care from staff within their own homes such as rehabilitation and therapy services and management of long term illness including diabetes and heart disease.
On working relationships across the NHS, they said:
“We must also ensure that a new countywide PCT helps to strengthen working relationships across the NHS.
As a single organisation, the PCT will be well placed to work even more effectively with colleagues in the Hospitals Trust, the Partnership Trust, the new Great Western Ambulance Trust as well as service providers from outside the county. This can only improve communication and the co-ordination of patient care for the benefit of our patients.”
“We recognise that as a countywide organisation, the PCT must retain a local focus so that the valuable working relationships that the existing PCTs have built with primary care, district and borough councils and a wide range of committed community and voluntary groups are not weakened and continue to be strengthened. Our future success in developing services and improving the health of local people will depend on this co-operation and joint working.”
The PCT will play an increasing role in supporting frontline NHS healthcare workers – such as GPs and Nursing staff – to have more direct involvement in purchasing the services they feel their patient needs.
The Trust will also work with Local Authorities and local communities to improve the health of the population, help to bridge the health gap between people from different backgrounds and protect health through effective emergency planning.
Commenting on the period of change ahead, Liz, Ruth and Elizabeth said:
“We have an important responsibility to support our staff through this difficult and unsettling time and we are committed to doing this. This is a period of great transition as we work with local people to restructure health services for the longer term and help the NHS to balance its books. We fully recognise that this will present very real challenges for the new organisation, for our staff and for our patients.”
