changing NHS South Manchester GPs lead the way in FAMILY doctors in south


Manchester have created their own social enterprise to run services following


NHS shake-up T


hey are amongst the fi rst in the country to pioneer new purchasing


consortia, which will replace the local Primary Care Trust. All GP practices will have to join a


the Coalition Government’s shake-up of the NHS.


consortia by 2013 when the North West’s 10 PCTs are scrapped. Each consortia will receive around 80 per cent of the NHS budget - but they will not have to run public health schemes, which will be provided by local authorities. Responsibility for providing GP care, nursing care and most hospital, out-of- hours, mental health and ambulance care will transfer to the consortia. The GPs in south Manchester have decided to create their own social enterprise company, with its own board - and have already seconded PCT staff to work for them. The Government argues that


Dr Bill Tamkin


scrapping PCT’s and giving purchasing power to GPs will save money, through the axing of so-called ‘pen pushers’ jobs at the PCT.


But critics say GPs are better at


treating patients than running their own enterprise and that there will be no reduction in bureaucracy. The south Manchester GPs say they believe all doctors should take responsibility for referring patients and what they prescribe for them. This would help cut out any waste in the system. They claim the new system offers them the chance to provide quicker, better treatment for patients, while reducing the cost of healthcare.


Dr Bill Tamkin, from Borchardt Medical


Centre in Withington is chair of the south Manchester commissioning group. He told the Manchester Evening News:


“We need to set up systems which mean patients are seen by the right person at the right place at the right time, with no duplication of tests or lost notes or inadequate work-up beforehand. “If someone wants to prescribe the most expensive drugs all the time, they have to know that x number of people won’t get a hip replacement or we have to close a couple of beds at the hospital. “If we can get rid of ineffi ciencies and


gross waste of money, I don’t think we will have the tough decisions about IVF and other costly treatment – we will be able to afford it.” The consortium has set up a board for


day-to-day management, with a chair and four other GPs. They hope practice nurses and managers will also be represented soon. Dr Tamkin will work for the


consortium up to three days a week, and the four GPs are expected to put in one day a week. They are appointing clinical leads for different conditions. They say that under the new system,


the vast majority of GPs will continue to see patients as they always have. But GPs believe they will have more


say in the consortium’s policies through four meetings a year. They will also be able to raise urgent


matters immediately with members of the board.


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