GPs to be judged by points system By Dennis Fowle


LOCAL GP practices are to be judged on much of their work by a new points system – and will be financially rewarded if they hit targets. The GP-led NHSWest Kent Clinical Com- missioning Group, now in charge of the bulk of local NHS funds, agreed to use the incen- tive system at its last meeting. This is how doctors can earn points:


 PHONE ACCESS: Patients give views on ease of access and 95% approval earns max- imum points and below 55% no points. Maximum points available: 10  APPOINTMENTS: Patients report on their experiences in being able to make appoint- ments. 95% approval earns top points and 60% and below no points. Maximum points available: 10  RECOMMEND PRACTICE: Thismeasures the percentage of patients recommending the practice with 95% approval earning top points and below 60% no points. Maximum points available: 10  DISEASE: GPs are challenged to increase the recording of diagnoses on their registers of diabetes, hypertension and chronic ob- structive pulmonary disease, leading to faster and better patient care. The overall target is 15%against a baseline and points can also be gained individually in the three categories for 5% and 10% improvements in diagnoses. Maximum points available: 20  EMERGENCY ADMISSION: GPs are chal- lenged to reduce emergency admissions to


Tories bid for safe seat UP to 300 applicants are expected to bid as prospective Conservative candidate for the Tonbridge and Malling seat being vacated by MP Sir John Stanley. Theseatisone of the


safest Tory seats in the country, with a majority of 18,000 at the last elec- tion. Sir John (pictured) is to step down in 2015. Local Conservative


party officials have opted to hold an “open primary” style election, as used in the USA, which means anyone in the constituency aged over 18 will have the chance to vote on the shortlisted candi- dates. The final selection meeting will be held


in November. David Cameron has said the Conserva-


tives would like to adopt the open primary process in as many as 200 safe seats.


AMANhas been prosecuted by Tonbridge andMalling Borough Council after he was found to be illegally carrying waste when stopped by police in Ditton. Lee Wenham, of Hawkhurst,


was stopped in London Road, but did not have the waste transfer notes to show where the waste had come from. He had previously been stopped by police and the coun- cil’s environmental enforce- ment officer in Hadlow Road, Tonbridge, when he was also found to be carrying waste without the necessary docu- mentation. He was not regis- tered with the Environment Agency. Hewas given two fixed


22 Malling


hospital for 19 ‘ambulatory care conditions’. These could include chest and abdominal pains, falls and cellulitis. Maximum points available: 10  DISCHARGES: This is based on the per- centage of patients discharged after the first hospital attendance (ie – the hospital team do not feel their expertise can help further). The aim is to improve patient care by only refer- ring to hospital when clinically appropriate. Maximum points available: 10  PRESCRIBING: Points are awarded for the level of under-spend in the practice’s budget for prescribingmedications. Maximum points available: 10 REFERRALS: The aim is to ensure referrals to hospitals are consistent and reflect a clin- ical need. Specialities concerned are trauma and orthopaedics; general surgery, urology, gynaecology; ophthalmology, ear-nose-throat and cardiology. Excluded are cancer and ur- gent referrals. Targets are set individually for each practice.


THE commissioning group says the points sys- temis being set up “to incentiviseGPpractices to improvepatientcareandexperience, improve quality of care and support the Care Closer to Home national agenda”. It says it supports the aim of “improved satis- faction, reduced variabilityandimprovedaccess in primary care in particular, to develop collab- orative commissioning contracts with primary care and community services that reduces


Maximum points available: 40  PATHOLOGY: From next April 1 GP prac- tices will be charged individually for tests or- dered ‘to raise awareness of the relevance of investigations – thereby improving efficiency, patient experience in their pathway and managing budgets.’ By hitting all targets a GP practice would


be rewardedwith £1 per patient per year (40p pathology, 60p the rest). Payments fall for partial successes. The group says much of the required infor- mation is already available in the system and therefore should not add substantially to workloads and costs. The West Kent Commissioning Group ac- knowledges “various concerns” among GPs about what is titled the “local incentive scheme” and says these must be considered to prevent setting it up for failure. The September group meetingwas told the financial return of the system was likely to be “three or four times expenditure”.


System aims to improve patient experience


health inequalities and achieves better out- comes”. The group says it aims “to promote the ethos


of putting GPs at the forefront of decision mak- ing by ensuring the right care at the right place at the right time – provided by the right work- force to all patients. The starting point for all this is at theGPpractice with the joint decision by the patient and GP on themost appropriate pathway to access”.


Villages face mail changes


THE increasing use of emailmeans residents in several local villages could soon find their mail taking longer to arrive. Royal Mail has announced it is to re- schedule its rounds in postcodes ME17 and ME18, which takes inMereworth,Watering- bury, Nettlestead, Teston andWest Peckham. The organisation says it is necessary to


make routes “as efficient as possible”. How- ever, while the current Monday-Saturday delivery service aims to deliver by 2pm at the latest, the planned changes could see mail arriving as late as 4pm. RoyalMail has written to every home and business in the areas affected and delivery sector manager Dominic Best said: “We are introducing the changes to maintain and protect services and to keep our prices as low as possible. “These changes have al- ready beenmade in many parts of the coun-


Illegal waste carrier fined again


penalty notices for £300. Following the incident in Dit-


ton he was issued with two fur- ther penalties. Mr Wenham failed to pay any of the fines and was therefore prosecuted. He admitted all four offences at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court, and was sentenced to a fine of £110 foreachofthe twoof- fences of failing to produce au- thority to transport waste. Mr Wenham was ordered to


pay full costs of £239 and a vic- tim surcharge of £20. Residents were reminded that


when having waste taken away they should always check that the person doing so is registered with the Environment Agency.


try and will be introduced in more areas over the comingmonths.” The changesmean mail could be delivered


by someone other than the regular postmen, as it could be sorted at different centres, and delivery times could vary, depending where properties are located on the new routes. Although deliveries will start in themorn-


ing as usual, the working day will be ex- tended. News of the changes coincidedwith theGovernment’s announcement that it is to privatise Royal Mail, which in turn led to threats of strike action by postal workers, who claim the flotation is flawed and will have a huge impact on consumers. While the volume of letters being sent by


Royal Mail has dramatically reduced in re- cent years, the number of packets and parcels has increased due to the increase in online shopping.


Franchise award for salon owner


SAKSKings Hill is celebrating after the salon’sowner,ClaireDenyer,won the title of franchisee of the year at the British Hairdressing Business Awards 2013. Claire fought off stiff competition from hun- dreds of other fran- chisees across the UK to take the title. She is picturedwithher team. Claire,wholaunched


Saks Kings Hill in Jan- uary 2007, has won a string of awards but says this is one of her greatest achievements. “I am thrilled to have won this national award. I work very hard to en-


sure my salon is run to the best of my ability and that I follow all Saks’ franchisingprotocols. Thisaward isacredit toeveryonein the SaksKings Hill team.”


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