GPs discuss plans to manage health and care services in Barnet (From Times Series)

GPs discuss plans to manage health and care services in Barnet

2:44pm Thursday 4th October 2012 in News By Natalie O'Neill

A group of GPs discussed their plans to take over managing health and care services in Barnet today.

In their first public meeting, Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG) talked about its progress in taking over the leadership for planning and designing health care in Barnet.

Dr Sue Sumners, chair of the board, said: “GPs who see patients every single day, who understand the frustration and rewards, will be able to feed back what their patients want.

“We can then work with managers to make those changes happen – changes that patients say will help them.”

From April 2013, the BCCG will be in charge of commissioning services including planned hospital care, urgent and emergency care, rehabilitation care, community health services and mental health and learning disability services.

During the meeting at Finchley Memorial Hospital in Granville Road, Finchley, the board discussed current health issues that need tackling across the borough including difficulties with keeping records of children’s immunizations and a shortage of health visitors for post natal care.

Dr Sumners and Dr Andrew Burnett, director of public health, also raised the board’s drive to encourage people at risk from the flu to get a free vaccine.

Dr Burnett said: “About 100 people die in Barnet in the winter and this is directly related to the cold weather. These deaths are avoidable.”

As well as having the vaccine, he said awareness needs to be raised about heating in homes and wearing warm clothes.

Showing her commitment to encouraging people to have the flu vaccine, Dr Sumners had hers at the meeting.