GPCFebruary 2002 Printable/word-processor version for download
GPC
Introduction
With the publication of Shifting the balance of power within the NHS, primary care organisations (PCOs) in England face significant challenges in discharging their new responsibilities. local medical committees (LMCs) also face challenges in the coming months, most notably those of reorganisation and the formation of new relationships with PCOs and strategic health authorities.
Evidence suggests that PCOs can be helped immeasurably by developing a continuing and mature relationship with their LMCs. Evidence also suggests that both PCOs and LMCs share an equal responsibility in developing such a relationship, which, at its best, provides PCOs with an unparalleled opportunity to tap a wealth of representative wisdom about general practice while at the same time significantly increasing the proper influence that a mature LMC should have on the strategic development of local primary care and general practice.
However, not all PCOs enjoy good relationships with LMCs, and, conversely, not all LMCs enjoy good relationships with their local PCOs. More often than not these poor relationships are the product of misconceptions about the roles and duties of LMCs and PCOs, misconceptions that are sometimes compounded by difficult personal relationships between chief officers and senior colleagues.
The General Practitioners Committee (GPC) believes that now is an opportune time for LMCs to assess PCO performance and for LMCs and PCOs to take stock of their relationships with each other as they both face the challenges of implementing Shifting the balance of power within the NHS. The GPC has therefore produced the following "performance assessment tool" to help LMCs and PCOs jointly take stock of the working relationship they have developed.
This tool takes the form of a questionnaire that can be answered by the LMC alone or in partnership with its PCOs. While it is acknowledged that the questionnaire contains many questions of a purely subjective nature, it is no less valid for that because perceptions are of vital importance in forming and sustaining mature working relationships.
The questions that make up the questionnaire have been formulated from evidence gained nationally over the last three years as well as from issues frequently raised by LMCs and their constituents. The scoring system is a simple one but, nonetheless, should provide a useful guide as to how local LMC/PCO relationships have developed. Furthermore, it should provide a useful starting point for improving a poor relationship as well as celebrating a good one, irrespective of whether a PCO is a primary care group, an aspiring primary care trust or an established primary care trust.
The main aim of this performance assessment tool is to help LMCs assess PCO performance and assist LMCs and PCOs judge the quality of their local relationships. The GPC secretariat is also keen to gather evidence nationally so that examples of good performance can be shared more widely. LMCs are therefore asked to return copies of their completed performance assessment tools to Rachel Timberlake, GPC, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP, by 1 May 2002.
Name of PCO:
2. Level of PCO
Comments:
Additional comments
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Please indicate the final score