Alan Birchall, secretary of the National Association of Commissioning GPs, kicked off the afternoon with a comprehensive review of the history and current state of GP Commissioning. He congratulated the participants on the turnout - he had never before been to a local meeting where all sides of commissioning were represented. Commissioning, he said, was an inevitable evolution. Gareth Richards spoke for the Brett-Stour consortium. The group has been militantly anti-fundholding, and accredits its dialogue with Suffolk Health to that publicity campaign.
ICE is cool.
The practice managers first came together to purchase expensive items together at a group discount. Administration is provided by the Consortium's office. The group has since developed to provide a forum and network for practice managers, covering issues such as staff budgets, practice areas, training, protocols. Its aims include Good quality practice management, to improve dialogue with internal and external agencies, to add a management perspective on how general practice works for Health Authority managers, and to contribute to GP commissioning through comment on administration. Coxing and boxing Sue Cox related that two Commissioners resigned last year from the Lowestoft group due to lack of support from Suffolk Health.