Martin McShane: NHS MOT

Monday to Friday, for weeks now, there has been a teleconference bringing together the leads from all the major organisations across Lincolnshire involved in health and social care. The ambulance and community services, acute and mental health plus adult social care, are all regularly represented. The meeting is chaired by a commissioner. The purpose is […]

Read More…

djfhdkfdkjfhakdjfhkadsfhldksjfajdfkdajfhkdlsfhkdlsfhkdsfhskldfhdkfhdskl

Martin McShane: A nation or the profession?

I sat down with a manager who has an in depth knowledge and experience of commissioning services for people with learning disabilities, as I wanted to understand why we seemed to be doing poorly on delivering health checks. It seems so simple. Practices should offer an annual health check to people with learning disabilities. There […]

Read More…

djfhdkfdkjfhakdjfhkadsfhldksjfajdfkdajfhkdlsfhkdlsfhkdsfhskldfhdkfhdskl

Martin McShane: Little things

The reforms grind on. In the stratosphere there is a lot of noise and turbulence—people arguing passionately and polemically. Meanwhile the architecture of a new system is being constructed around those of us working in the old system. People are wondering where their future lies, or if they have a future. The basic construct is […]

Read More…

djfhdkfdkjfhakdjfhkadsfhldksjfajdfkdajfhkdlsfhkdlsfhkdsfhskldfhdkfhdskl

Martin McShane: Doing the maths

We are now constantly discussing the transition process and the programme of work we have mapped, which we need to follow to deliver the structural changes demanded by the reforms. This sits alongside the planning process, with the plan for 2012/13 shuttling back and forth between the SHA, PCT cluster, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), various […]

Read More…

djfhdkfdkjfhakdjfhkadsfhldksjfajdfkdajfhkdlsfhkdlsfhkdsfhskldfhdkfhdskl

Martin McShane: Does commissioning need an incentive?

I became interested in commissioning through Fundholding. Like the majority of GP practices that got involved we did so because we wanted to improve the experience and the services our patients received. We used the influence which holding a budget gave us to address quality.  For example, we improved the safety of anticoagulation management, we […]

Read More…

djfhdkfdkjfhakdjfhkadsfhldksjfajdfkdajfhkdlsfhkdlsfhkdsfhskldfhdkfhdskl

Martin McShane: Tipping point

The announcement last week of the design of the NHS Commissioning Board is critically important. It signals the end of the prolonged period of ambiguity which managers have experienced since the white paper was published in July 2010. For those who have been through the round robins of previous reforms there is a realisation that […]

Read More…

djfhdkfdkjfhakdjfhkadsfhldksjfajdfkdajfhkdlsfhkdlsfhkdsfhskldfhdkfhdskl

Martin McShane: Incentives to transform primary care

I was fortunate to be able to listen to Danna Safran from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts at a recent King’s Fund conference. She was talking about the alternative quality contract (AQC). Double digit inflation in healthcare costs and a mandate for every individual to have insurance in Massachusetts drove BCBS to think […]

Read More…

djfhdkfdkjfhakdjfhkadsfhldksjfajdfkdajfhkdlsfhkdlsfhkdsfhskldfhdkfhdskl

Martin McShane: Compliance and membership

The year ahead will be important for the NHS. It will be a year that determines if the leadership across the system inverts and changes. Currently it is based on compliance. Instructions are issued from the centre and the expectation is that they will be followed. Targets are set, with an implied threat that, if […]

Read More…

djfhdkfdkjfhakdjfhkadsfhldksjfajdfkdajfhkdlsfhkdlsfhkdsfhskldfhdkfhdskl

Martin McShane: Adapting

Every two months I get to sit down with the GP Chair and Chief Operating Officer from each of the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in Lincolnshire. Ever since the reforms were announced we have retained a focus on delivery. We have thought of the development of the CCGs as revolving around delivery. There is no […]

Read More…

djfhdkfdkjfhakdjfhkadsfhldksjfajdfkdajfhkdlsfhkdlsfhkdsfhskldfhdkfhdskl