Turnaround team recommends support to PCT management in delivering a complex savings and development plan
Following a visit from a Turnaround Team just before Christmas 2005, directors from Cotswold and Vale Primary Care Trust met with members of the Strategic Health Authority at the end of last week to get feedback on the team's findings and proposals.
Having been tasked with reviewing the Trust's financial recovery plan to satisfy the Department of Health that appropriate schemes, actions & controls are in place to deliver required savings, their overall response was supportive.
The team were impressed by the progress made to date but recognised that much still needed to be done within a very short time frame. They were complimentary of the progress the trust had made in implementing practice based commissioning with GPs; and it was agreed that the key area where Cotswold and Vale needed additional skill and support was in the area of contract negotiation and management, as well as delivering the longer term plans for hospitals and services.
Chief Executive, Richard James, reported, "We have welcomed an objective assessment of our core strengths and weaknesses by a professionally qualified third party. We had a full and frank discussion of where we thought additional skills and expertise would prove critical to help us achieve financial balance.
"In common with many other PCTs we face a considerable challenge to live within our means as the NHS introduces new funding systems. But it is worth emphasising that in general terms this Primary Care Trust is performing well. We are a two-star PCT. We are currently achieving all 200 of the Department of Health's key targets (with the exception of the financial break-even target).
"The cornerstone of our policy is to deliver better healthcare, closer to home and the major challenge is to come up with new and innovative ways of working that will enable us to do this. We welcome the input of the turnaround teams".
Directors meet with the Strategic Health Authority again this week to discuss specific actions.
