The foundation stone for removing politics from the NHS is the 50/50 partnership between a range of NHS professionals working in the local area and committed and competent members of the public in that locality. The Local Partnership has two roles. First to support, scrutinise and seek to improve all aspects of how the NHS operates at local level, communicating concerns and suggestions directly with the NHS Assembly. Second to act as the NHS Community Hub; encouraging support groups, carers, volunteers and others. Plus promoting local sports clubs, exercise groups and the like, directly and indirectly helping individuals to look after their own health.
- Review and input into all investment plans for spending NHS money in the Locality.
- Improving Access. Emphasis at GP level on handling appointments. At secondary level; access to all diagnostics, access to secondary care, experience of hospital discharge support, including liaison with GPs.
- Improving Quality of Service. Challenging inconsistencies, between different GP surgeries and across the range of secondary care. Scrutiny of “contracted out” services.
- Focus on A&E at the major hospital and corresponding services at other hospital centres in the Locality.
- Support for and liaison with all NHS volunteer groups in the area, for example Diabetes and Cancer support groups and Carers.
- Co-ordinating and promoting all “volunteering” work from members of the General Public. For example offers of transport for patients, technology support, liaison with pharmacists.
- Taking over the “social prescribing” role from GPs. Promoting local healthy living initiatives, sports groups etc. Allocating funds to give practical support (equivalent at minimum to the “small grants” funds currently available to local authorities).
- Supporting all initiatives to promote the “Responsible” Patient principle. For example availability of self – monitoring technology. Providing a forum for any local initiatives to promote health and well being in the local population. Active liaison with secondary schools at school leaver level.
* Note – “competent and committed members” of the public excludes political party politicians at local level. There is no ban on individuals previously elected as “Independents” in their area. All members of the public will be democratically elected (To emphasise please. Our Democratic control will be maintained, and indeed reinforced, at every stage.) Local NHS professionals to include a significant proportion of GPs, plus representatives from secondary care including consultants and senior management. The “local level” means the total catchment area of the major hospital. “Sub groups” will also be encouraged within the natural population divisions of the major Hospital catchment area. All of these will feed in to the main Group.
Graham Cartmell