NOVEMBER 2001
18/11/01
Amazingly it's 2 years since the last editor's newsletter. Doesn't time go quickly when you're having a good time! The monographs on various health problems I promised in the last editorial were completed and eventually uploaded in November 2001.
In the last couple of years or so there has been a great development of the internet as a source of health information from within the NHS. Both the NHS centrally as well as locally has been involved in this as well as many GP practices who now have their own websites. This is to be welcomed because there is a surfeit of information on the internet of which much is of doubtful quality so the more sites that people can rely on the better. To see what is there go to our links pages. May I particularly recommend the Darlington PCG Site for local information and if you want to research more widely go to the National Electronic Library for Health - there are are some superb anatomical diagrams there.
There is much change going on in the NHS at present. Whilst Durham Health Authority is merging with Tees Health as part of the national project to reduce the number of Health Authorities many of it's functions will come down to the new Primary Care Trust which will succeed the PCG in April 2002. Many of the decisions affecting our health will now be taken by this new trust which will have a Board representing many groups in the local community and with a highly qualified lay chair setting the overall strategy and an executive commitee with strong professional representation that will take care of the day to day running and the more technical aspects. As you may know Dr. Harker from this practice has been playing a crucial role recently both as a PCG board member initially and now as PCG Chair.
From September this year the practice has become a Personal Medical Services Pilot practice which means, we hope, that we will have greater freedom to develop our services in response to local needs. We have received additional funding to develop medical and nursing services and we hope shortly to appoint a salaried doctor to help us offer more appointments to you the patients.
Next year I intend to visit the USA to spend some time looking at the different ways that they provide and fund health care - especially primary care and I hope to let you have some of my conclusions.
Robert Upshall.