A new initiative
to empower pioneering GPs who want to press ahead with
commissioning care for patients was announced by Health Secretary
Andrew Lansley today.
The new pathfinder programme will identify and support groups of
practices who are keen to make faster progress in taking on the
new roles set out in the NHS White Paper 'Equity and
excellence: Liberating the NHS' earlier this year. It
will enable GPs to test different design concepts of GP Consortia
and identify any issues and areas of learning early on so that
these can be shared across the GP community.
This invaluable experience will help shape the way GP Consortia
will work in the future. By making early progress we will also
give the wider commissioning community the confidence to join in
and enable Pathfinder Consortia to start taking on aspects of the
new roles in commissioning local services.
Announcing the new scheme at the National Association of Primary
Care conference, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said:
"I have spoken to and met many GPs around the country
who want to take control of commissioning services. The proposals
in the NHS White Paper will allow them to do this in the future,
but I want to give them the opportunity to make early progress now.
"That is why I am inviting emerging GP Consortia to put
themselves forward and become new and innovative Pathfinder
Consortia. I want to empower those that want to make progress and
press ahead with change.
"No-one should feel they must wait to make progress and
I will ensure they have the learning and support available to do
so."
To kick-start the programme the Department has made £1 million
available from central funding to support regional learning
programmes across England. GP practices keen to participate in the
pathfinder programme will need to put themselves forward to their
Primary Care Trust and Strategic Health Authority from the end of
October.
Part of the support that will be offered to GP Consortia will be
a new series of commissioning packs. These will provide a set of
tools and templates to use when designing and buying services for
their patients. The first of these support packs published today
is for cardiac rehabilitation services and aims to support GP
commissioners to design services that are suited to local needs
and cost effective.
Notes to Editors:
1. For media enquiries please contact the Department of Health
Newsdesk on 020 7210 5221
2. PCTs and SHAs will identify the first group of Pathfinder
Consortia by December 2010. Other emerging consortia will then be
able to join the programme on a rolling basis.
3. All Pathfinder Consortia will agree how they can be supported
in taking on these new roles with their PCT.
4. We will evaluate the progress of the Pathfinder Consortia
through the Department of Health's Policy Research Programme.
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk