Cash-row GPs warn of action over cuts

Nov 9 2007 by Audrey Barton, The Journal

GPs in the North-East are threatening a vote of no confidence in the bosses of a cash-strapped health trust as unrest grows over a raft of cost-cutting measures.

Members of Northumberland Local Medical Committee (LMC) last night confirmed the step was imminent in reaction to recent cuts that are draining millions from services in the area.

Cash-strapped Northumberland Care Trust is currently battling a £14m debt and must save £11.9m to break even in April.

An indefinite vacancy freeze is in place as cuts include £2m from primary care including from GPs and nurses’ budgets which will mean patients face delays to services, according to sources.

Half a million pounds is being cut by “redesigning workforce capacity” which includes a restructuring of community nurses.

One source, who wished not to be named, told The Journal he had been heavily involved in the negotiation process between local care providers and the Northumberland Care Trust for at least six months, and felt the cracks in the quality of care for patients were already beginning to show.

Care trust bosses said they were committed to consulting with GPs over services.

But the source said: “That amount of cost- cutting will undoubtedly mean a severe pressure on services delivered and a reduction in quality of care. The cuts will definitely affect services and have already affected services.

“There are not enough people to do it.”

Another source close to the trust said of the £2m reduction from GP services: “This is extremely likely to reduce services for patients.

“It will mean longer waits and less access to practices in urban conurbations like Ashington and Blyth.”

The well-placed sources believe vulnerable patients are being hit the hardest as savings are gleaned from clinics treating those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension, speech therapy departments and health visitors.

And they warned that in the long-term, neglect or mismanagement of services in the primary sector would only increase hospital admissions and referrals which were far more expensive for the trust to pay for.

One said: “Doctors, nurses and health visitors resources shouldn’t be reduced because if the capacity in doctors’ surgeries to provide quality of care suffers, it may mean hospital referrals.

“The Care Trust is only interested in affordability, not in quality of care.”

The second added: “The trust has failed to consult appropriately. They are prepared to drop the quality of care that’s given to Northumberland to meet financial targets.”

Labour’s Blyth Valley MP Ronnie Campbell also slammed health chiefs as “yes men” who ignore the needs of those that really matter – the patients.

He said: “These directors are not effective at managing taxpayers’ money and it’s amazing that we have had so much money put into the health service with nothing dripping through to the patients that really matter.

“You can’t make these savings without damaging patient care at grass-roots level. It’s such a waste.

“These people in the health service should look at themselves very quickly. If I was sitting on these committees and authorities, I would demand answers.”

Chris Easton, who is branch secretary for the North of Tyne Primary Care Trusts at Unison, confirmed that union members had raised concerns over the issue.

She said: “We have a duty to protect our members’ jobs and the public at large and we are in ongoing negotiations with the trust management with regard to these issues.”

A spokeswoman for Northumberland Care Trust said: “We are responsible for commissioning health services from lots of different organisations to ensure that there is the right type and level of services for everyone in Northumberland.

“Included in this are the services provided by GPs. We greatly value the work of GPs in Northumberland and are committed to engaging with them over decisions in community and primary care services.”

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KEY savings detailed in Northumberland Care Trust’s Financial Recovery Plan 2007/08.

Profit on sale of community assets: £3.5m

Primary care – re-basing of GP contract: £2m

Service changes in community hospitals: £2m

Redesign work force capacity to deliver efficiency savings (includes community nurses): £0.5m

Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Trust Service changes: £1.5m

Review of complex and continuing care packages: £0.5m

Occupational therapy services: £1m

To promote implementation of vacancy control arrangements and controlled staff advertising arrangements: £0.5m

Demand management – Decommission services of low priority/limited effectiveness: £0.8m