|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
 |
| |
Thank you to all
patients who left signed comments at
the practice in support of keeping
dispensing doctors active in rural
communities across the country. We
were delighted to hear on the 16th
December that for the moment the
Government has decided to keep
Status Quo. During a very short
period of time over 1000 patients at
Chew Medical Practice supported the
campaign to keep the practice
dispensing, on behalf of the
practice and its employees and
doctors we were overwhelmed by the
support given to us. Thank you.
The Next Chapter?
New arrangements could be used to
bring about Option 2
The Department of Health has
published the new Health Bill 2009
on the 16th of January 2009.
Interestingly it has been introduced
in the Lords and not the House of
Commons.
The part of the Health Bill that
deals with Pharmaceutical Needs
Assessments (PNAs) has the
potential, if enacted, to undermine
the Ministerial announcement of 16th
December that promised no change to
the arrangements for dispensing by
doctors.
We are pleased that the guidance
produced by NHS Employers to help
PCTs produce their PNA, insists that
the service dispensing doctors
deliver must be taken into account
when looking at their existing
provision. But foresee difficulties
drafting the regulations that will
allow patient choice to continue as
at present.
It is sincerely hoped that the
announcement of no change stands,
since our patients, who supported
the dispensing status quo in such
huge numbers, will very unhappy
indeed should what was in effect the
Pharmacy White Paper?s Option 2 be
imposed.
The fight to maintain dispensing by
doctors is far from over; it looks
as if 2009 is going to be just as
difficult as 2008.
What is the Health Bill 2009?
Summary of the Bill
The Bill aims to improve the quality
of NHS care and services and to
improve public health.
Key areas:
- Places a duty
on providers and commissioners
of NHS services to have regard
to a new NHS Constitution, which
will set out the
responsibilities of patients and
staff
- introduces
direct payments for health
services with the intention of
giving patients greater control
over the health care services
they receive
- introduces
quality accounts, which would
provide information on quality
for patients, clinicians and
managers, with the aim of
improving local accountability
for services
- makes
provisions to protect children
and young people from the harm
caused by smoking. These
provisions relate particularly
to advertising and sales from
vending machines
- extends the
remit of the Local Government
Ombudsman to consider complaints
from people who have arranged
their own adult social care
- introduces a
scheme by which prizes for
innovation in health service
provision may be awarded
|
|
|
|
|
