Doctors.net.uk has launched a microsite to help doctors in the UK prepare for the imminent changes in NHS commissioning.
The microsite was launched in response to doctors.net opinion polls showing that 83 per cent of doctors felt they needed more support to make the planned changes. This figure rose to 93 per cent among GPs, who will be key in implementing the reforms. Consequently, the microsite has been developed to provide clear information and a forum where users can share ideas and best practice.
The radical changes to the commissioning process were announced in Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS, released in an oral statement to Parliament on July 12. The White Paper details how power will be devolved from Whitehall to patients and professionals. The main implication for doctors will be that they become responsible for commissioning all care for local communities. This is intended to remove top-down bureaucracy and enable doctors to meet the wishes and needs of local patients.
“The Coalition Agreement set out a bold and exciting vision for the future of the NHS – a vision based on the principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility,” Andrew Lansley said in a statement. “With patients empowered to share in decisions about their care, with professionals free to tailor services around their patients and with a relentless focus on continuously improving results, I am confident that together we can deliver the efficiency and the improvement in quality that is required to make the NHS a truly world class service.”
The doctors.net microsite aims to provide a central resource for users, including doctors working in general practice, public health and hospital-based services, to access the latest developments and information about the reforms as they are announced. The microsite has a direct link to the White Paper (as well as a concise summary) and includes news stories, interviews and analyses from contributors including the British Medical Association (BMA) and the King’s Fund.
Doctors.net.uk medical adviser, Dr James Quekett, said: “Naturally there is a lot of excitement about the White Paper but also much uncertainty about the new plans for GP commissioning. With allocation of time, resource and funding still to be resolved, GPs are expressing concern about how the reform will work in practice, and are pointing out that for this to work all doctors need to be engaged and involved – not just GPs.
“Bringing all of the available information together and providing the opportunity to discuss and collaborate in one place, not only equips doctors with the facts they need to make informed opinions on reform, but also gives grass-roots doctors a voice on the issue.”
The microsite can be found at www.doctors.net.uk/commissioning (log-in required).