Paging GPs!

As a matter of interest, isn't your Trust part of a PCT? I thought (probably wrongly) that a PCG/T, as well as including local GPs also included the secondary sector - unification of services/resources/budgets/skills/formularies/etc.., leading to inclusion of Social Services down the line - like the Boards in Scotland and I.O.M.

Maybe I've got that wrong. Or maybe I heven't and it isn't working. Either way, I'd be interested to learn the situation. I'm familiar with the legislation (up to a point) but what's happening in practice?

Cheers

Harry

Er, why would we want to talk to the trust?

Dear Rockingdoc,

As a member of the AHP's in a PCT i appreciated your brevity and pertinence of reply.

Why cant the meetings i attend be as productive.

The newsletter we get on an irregular basis is usually filled with the achievements of the

INFORMATICS DEPT

And the

MANAGEMNT TEAM

Little mention is made of the clinical staff's achievements.

Oh i forgot we only achieve formal letters of complaint on a variety of aspects of the services provided by the clinical teams.

Our new Chair is on a salary of approx £90k.

How does a PCT with financial problems justify that?


regards David

HTK - No, acute hospital Trusts are not 'part' of PCTs.

Rockingdoc - Well presumably you (at least) want to know about the services you're referring your patients to and spending your money on. And you might want to know what consultants' waiting times are, etc, etc. But equally if you're just uninterested in knowing about these things I'll ask someone else.

All I'm trying to figure out is how the Trust I work for can tell its GPs the things they want to know in the best way for them.

Perhaps I've just sparked the usual winge-fest. Oh well.

Tim

Communication 101

Tim they are not 'your trust's' GPs.Might seem a small point but...

John

ps Not a first wave foundation by any chance are you?

Tim -- Speaking as a Management Consultant I suggest that you retain my services and we develop an optimal solution over a couple of weeks on a management retreat at a pleasant hotel in an agreeable part of Surrey before drawing up a 12 month rollout plan. I don't see much need to involve any Doctor's in this process or -- God forbid -- patients.

Not to pre-empt things but I suspect the solution will involve publishing your newsletter on via an Intranet and a couple of spreadsheets knocked up by our placement student.

Doctors -- Move along here please. Nothing for you to see on this thread.

Matthew

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tim Jones:
HTK - No, acute hospital Trusts are not 'part' of PCTs.

---

Ta.

quote:

---

All I'm trying to figure out is how the Trust I work for can tell its GPs the things they want to know in the best way for them.

---

Tell the drug reps to pass it on?

Just a thought.

Harry

John -

They are the GPs who send us their patients. Use of the word 'our' is a colloquialism for which I offer my sincerest apologies.

...and no we are not a first wave Foundation. Not, er, much chance of that I think.

Matthew - thanks for pre-empting (are you a GP BTW?). That's pretty much what we already do and no one (including the GPs) is happy with it.

Honestly, you try and make things better, ask a few questions [wanders into distance grumbling...]

Tim

GPs are bombarded with information, and impossible to please. They will always moan and you'll never get it right.

-Send them an email and it gets lost in the swamp.

-Send a glossy letter and they moan about the cost, or just bin it.

Most GP's want info available on all sorts of things but will tend to find it when they want it rather than having regular newsletters.

I'd make sure you send the briefest possible memo, about things that actually matter (such as new services/problems etc). I'd send it to the practice manager in each practice as I consider it part of their job to filter and forward relevant information to me. I'd ensure that the useful info is on your Trust website and regularly updated. Promote the website relentlessly so that it is always the place people look. Please make waiting time information fairly accurate. No gaming! (I'm sure I do not need to explain this).

Do not send them endless bumph, minutes of meetings, self-congratulatory messages or pictures of 17yr olds collecting NVQ certificates.

My local Trust (a multi-star winner and in the UK top ten hospitals) has just cut 3 local outpatient specialities and closed an elective surgery unit until April. I found out from a patient who is a hospital secretary. This is an example of what not to do!

I have not seen a drug rep for many years!

Bruce

[This message was edited by Bruce Woodhouse on THURSDAY 22 January 2004 at 08:02.]

Tim

No I really am a Management Consultant (after a fashion) and was satirising our failings whenver there is a whiff of large pots of public sector cash.

To be more serious I would applaud your attempts to engage with Doctors and get their views. You obviously take your job and repsonsisiblities very seriously which is exactly what we patients (and taxpayers) want from the NHS.

Matthew

Bruce -

At last! Very constructive - thank you.

Matthew -

You really are a a sadist...

Tim

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tim Jones:
Rockingdoc - Well presumably you (at least) want to know about the services you're referring your patients to and spending your money on. And you might want to know what consultants' waiting times are, etc, etc.



My local hospital has imposed pro-forma for chimps "tick the boxes" referal forms for almost every department, and sends back referal letters unread. These forms were introduced without consultation with GPs or LMC.
Named consultant referals are not permitted, alocation is made within the hospital.
I now have no direct access to a consultant psychiatrist, all referals are dealt with by a social worker.
I cannot refer back problems to a consultant.

The waiting times are not something I can use to make a referal decision.

So, why would I want to talk to the Trust now?

My point is that the Trusts like to tell us what they are imposing on GPs, regardless of the work implications for the GPs, but have very little interest in listening to GPs. I was on the LMC for ten years but resigned when it became clear how little regard the Trust had for GP opinion.

and as your post suggests you are looking for more effective ways to talk at GPs, not to listen to.

(obviously, this is not personally directed at you Tim)

[This message was edited by Rockingdoc on FRIDAY 23 January 2004 at 09:36.]

[This message was edited by Rockingdoc on FRIDAY 23 January 2004 at 09:46.]

Erm, where exactly do you work in Sarf London London Rockingdoc?

Tim

Well that info would obviously identify the Trust and probably myself, so I don't really want to do that here.
But, I stand by my belief that the local Trust hospital shows no sign of wishing to do anything other than talk to GPs rather than listen.

Doc -

You have a PM...

Tim

Have you tried bribing the receptionist to put in in front of the Doc together with a donut and a cup of coffee?