Keeping tabs on prescriptions By Dennis Fowle
A REPORT has been issued to show how local GP practices over or underspent their budg- ets for prescribing medications in the 2012/13 year. There are four Maidstone sur-
Walkers boost hospice fund
AWALK in the woods has raised about £30,000 for Aylesford- based Heart of Kent Hospice. Almost 1,200 supporters, friends, volunteers and staff took part in the 26th BluebellWalk, a six-mile circular route across the NorthDownsand through the pri- vately-owned bluebell woods within the Torry Hill Estate, to the north of Harrietsham. Walkers were greeted at the
end of the walk by the hospice’s patron, Lady Monckton, and en- joyed a ploughman’s lunch pro- vided by Sainsbury’s in Larkfield. Organisers said they were de-
lighted with the turnout and the amount of money raised.
geries in the top six for making savings, with Yalding the biggest overspender. The Maidstone under- spenders included College Road (£225,157), Northumberland Road (£206.970), King Street (£192,096) and Bearsted (£168,024). The biggest overspenders
were Yalding (£168,289), Queens Road (£92,403) and Aylesford (£80,267). The table shows results for all
62 GP practices in the newWest Kent Clinical Commissioning Group, where the doctors now hold the purse strings for most of the area’s NHS spend. It cov- ers Maidstone, Tonbridge and TunbridgeWells areas. Answering a question posed
by the Downs Mail at the June meeting, chairman Dr Bob Bowes explained there was a formula for setting a budget for every practice, and this in- cluded the required level of more expensive drugs. He sees the role of his group
to help support practices meet their budgets, and indicated
they would be looking at under- spends as well as overspends. “Potentially it is a solvable problem,” he said. Dr Bowes added later: “In pre- scribing medication, we aim to ensure patients get the best for their condition with least risk to them, but making good use of NHS money. One way is pre- scribing unbranded drugs where possible, which are as clinically effective as branded drugs but significantly cheaper. “Prescribing amounts to 14% of our budget and GPs’ respon-
INanattempt torestrictNHScosts, local doctors are to be monitored on hospital use by their patients. This will be done by the new GP-
led West Kent Clinical Commis- sioning Group. Therewill be three focus areas:
referrals to outpatient depart- ments; emergency admissions; A&E attendances. The group says: “Practices are re-
quired to undertake internal re- views and meet with peers to discuss the outcomes, common themes and future commissioning intentions.” Practices will also have to audit
their use of various forms of care, including lower back pain (with or without sciatica), palpitations,
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sibility is to ensure this is spent wisely, to avoid eating in to money for other services. Sometimes it is difficult towork within budgets, and budget-set- ting methodology is not fool- proof.” Of the 62 practices, 23 over-
spent last year. The total West Kent returns showed an under- spend of £1,857,600 (2.84%) for February and £1,788,010 (2.74%) for March. The full year budget for 2012/13 topped £65m, with an underspend of 2.74%.
Helping GPs toe patient care lines
heart fibrillations, falls, end-of-life care and sudden attacks of breath- ing difficulties. Practice achievement is to be monitored by panel members and resultswill be signed off at various times throughout the year. The group will invite practices to specify any educational or training needs to support doctors. It will also ask if patient requests
for same-day appointments are met, if clinical triage by a nurse or doctor by telephone is undertaken, if open access to a clinic is avail- able or if patients are told to tele- phone for a set time. Thepolicyistoencourageas
much care as possible in GP sur- geries or near a patient’s home to avoid costly hospital admissions.
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