Health chiefs promise GP review (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Health chiefs promise GP review

HEALTH bosses have announced they will tackle problems facing GP cover for all community hospital beds in west and north Wiltshire.

The Wiltshire Times launched its Save Our Hospital Beds campaign after learning two GPs would be ending their contracts to provide cover for Melksham Hospital's 24 inpatient beds, threatening the future of the ward.

This week two primary care trusts announced there would be an overhaul in arrangements for GP cover at all community hospitals.

West Wiltshire PCT and Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT, which share a chief executive, said the move had been triggered by the decision of Giffords Surgery and Spa Medical Centre to end their contracts to provide GP cover to Melksham Hospital.

Carol Clarke, PCT chief executive, said: "Since the problems in securing continued medical cover for Melksham have come to light, I have re-examined the PCTs' contracts and agreements for each of our community hospitals.

"For a variety of historical reasons, many of these arrangements are unsatisfactory."

She said the contracts did not set out the standards of patient care required of GPs and the overhaul would aim to cope with the demands faced by GPs.

Dr Gareth Bryant, chairman of GP body the Wiltshire Local Medical Committee, has held talks with Mrs Clarke.

He said new arrangements would aim to provide a fair reward for GPs providing medical cover.

Last week Dr James Hill, of Giffords Surgery, said he had been forced to end his contract to provide cover due to a lack of funding from the PCT, and likened the contract to charity work.

PCT spokesman Debbie Pugh-Jones said the aim was for doctors to feel they are having a "fair deal", as well as for consistency across the district.

She said there have not yet been negotiations with individual doctors, but the "overall principles" would be sorted out first.

"We have got to be fair to all doctors and treat them all the same. We can't do deals with individual doctors," she said.

Giffords GP Dr James Hill ended his contract to provide cover to 12 beds at Melksham Hospital this week.

Dr Rob Matthews, of Spa Medical Centre, will end his contract to cover the ward's remaining 12 beds in June.

The Wiltshire Times Save Our Hospital Beds petition has now been signed by almost 1,000 people.