GPs face complete halt on all non-urgent referrals under CCG plans to cut costs

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Northerner

Northerner

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A north-west CCG is proposing to completely suspend all non-urgent GP referrals to local hospitals for up to fourth months in a drastic bid to balance its books.

The move by NHS St Helens CCG could see GPs blocked from referring any patients for non-urgent treatment over a winter period for a ‘maximum’ of four months, so that hospitals can concentrate on urgent referrals such as for suspected cancer and sick children.

It did not detail how it would block referrals, but said that any decision to not refer will be made in agreement by the patient and the GP.

The CCG – recently rated ‘inadequate’ by NHS England – admits the move 'will not be popular', but adds it is facing a £12.5m funding gap over the next year after a £3m overspend.

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/co...under-ccg-plans-to-cut-costs/20032470.article

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:(
 
They are my CCG and to rate them as 'inadequate' is grossly unfair. They are not inadequate they are a complete bloody shambles. My local hospitals and GP surgeries are in a state of complete disarray. I suspect the 'urgent referrals for cancer care and sick children' is just a cynical smokescreen put up in an attempt to mask their own stupid mistakes spending money on some fairly crackpot schemes that have no clinical benefit to cancer patients, sick children, my peers or me 😡
 
What will happen after the four months? Will all the the non-urgent cases from the last four months be refered all in one go?
 
St. Helens is not an affluent area. As a result the general standard of health is not brilliant. We have a large chunk of GP's just upping and leaving the area as they cannot work under the remit of the crackpot CCG. This is putting lots of strain on remaining GP's who dearly apear to want to do the right thing by their patients but are hamstrung with the workload of far too many patients. This additional strain will well and truly break the camels back
 
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Ralph-YK said:
What will happen after the four months? Will all the the non-urgent cases from the last four months be refered all in one go?
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Timing is everything. By the time the 4 months is up, the queue will be... 4 months (at least). This puts ill people into the winter without having had the treatment they need. Some might call me a cynic but it looks to me like this is designed for natural reduction of the waiting list.
 
Jonsi said:
Timing is everything. By the time the 4 months is up, the queue will be... 4 months (at least). This puts ill people into the winter without having had the treatment they need. Some might call me a cynic but it looks to me like this is designed for natural reduction of the waiting list.
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Natural reduction sounds a bit sinister. This is my townsfolk you are talking about rubbing out 😱
 
I think that's part of the problem. You see them as people, I see them as people but do those who make these decisions??
 
Jonsi said:
I think that's part of the problem. You see them as people, I see them as people but do those who make these decisions??
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I think the people making decisions like this have lost all concept of humanity. I know that sounds a bit draconian but I really do believe it. I have had conversations with a GP who has just left my surgery whom I really got on very well with and when I got him taking a few times he gave me some real shock and awe about what our local CCG was having him do. I'm not surprised he went somewhere else. He was a really good doctor who seemed to really care.
 
Diabeticliberty said:
I think the people making decisions like this have lost all concept of humanity. I know that sounds a bit draconian but I really do believe it. I have had conversations with a GP who has just left my surgery whom I really got on very well with and when I got him taking a few times he gave me some real shock and awe about what our local CCG was having him do. I'm not surprised he went somewhere else. He was a really good doctor who seemed to really care.
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The government have achieved their aims from the Andrew Lansley 'reforms' - sounded very good to move funding decisions to those with clinical knowledge i.e. the doctors, but the starvation of funds (from both the NHS and councils who can no longer adequately support social care) means they can't make the decisions they would, yet they are the ones who now get the blame :( Also, it always struck me as stupid to take people whose expertise was medicine away from their speciality and make them into administrators, at the same time reducing their availability for actual clinical practice :(
 
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