SCG's to be abolished

[Claire Yorks]

For those that dont already know the regional Specilaist Commisoning Groups are to be abolished by 2012 but the National SCG will remain. Its not yet clear what replaces them but logically commissoning of services should revert back to the regional PCT led commsioning groups that preceeded SCG.

As far as Yorkshire is concerned Trans Yorkshire supports this change because it eliminates a layer of burocracy that as contributed nothing to GD care in Yorkshire other than to support the status quo.

Claire Eastwood

[Pollik]

However, I think that an SCG was instrumental in Oxford changing its stance.

Whatever, like teaching, there is too much tinkering going on and no time given to settle to changes, which in turn lead to greater expense and lower output.

[Claire Yorks]

But in Calderdale the SCG abolished patient choice and is implaccably against the reform of Leeds GIC. This came to an head at a Calderdale council meeting last Wenesday where a extremly angry council gave the PCT until September to restore choice or otherwise the matter will be put to a confidance montion in the PCT.

Surely the common deniminator between Oxford and Calderdale is the beliefe amongst NHS managers that acceptance of the NHS coinstitutional patient choice and the Human Rights Act are concepts that NHS managers can disregard at will. The remedy isnt more NHS managers malleting errent policies after they are implimented but a directive from government making clear that PCT's are not permitted to disregard NHS policy in the first place.

This is the direction we are taking this in Calderdale inaddition to asking that the mental health service opt out from choice is removed.

If you live in London then could we meet when Iam there in mid August because I would like to run some ideas past with the goal of a community approach to government on this one.

Claire