"The task of delivering high-quality GP services to all the 421,000 residents of UK care homes, who are usually old and often have acute medical needs such as dementia, is a key challenge. But a recent name of newspaper deleted roundtable debate on the subject, in association with name of care provider deleted, one of the country's biggest care home providers, revealed that it is a challenge that is far from being met. The debate was held under the Chatham House rule, which allows comments to be reported without attribution to encourage a frank exchange of views."
"The roundtable agreed that the general medical services contracts between the NHS and GPs, which set out what services family doctors have to deliver, is nowhere near enough to ensure good care for residents. To get round that some care home owners pay GPs for "enhanced services" in order to ensure that a doctor will come when needed. Some can be reluctant and say it is too far to travel, the roundtable heard.
The name of care services regulator deleted found that 10% of owners made such payments. Other research has shown the sums involved range from £900 to £24,000 a year and average about £7,000. But these payments – called retainers – "are somewhat shrouded in mystery", the roundtable heard. Last year's name of society deleted report said such fees were potentially unlawful, as they could be seen as GPs being paid double for providing care that should be available free to all NHS patients on their list. One participant said: "We are breaking the rules of the NHS – people should have care that is free at the point of delivery."
One care home chain pays retainers averaging £10,700 to 38% of the practices that look after their patients. One participant even knew of some cases where GPs "ask for cheques to be made out to them personally". Interestingly, some panellists said that as far as they know paying these extra fees is no guarantee of better quality care."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/healthcare-network/2012/nov/28/care-home-residents-quality-healthcare
A report that may shock and surprise some people. Sadly, my own experience had already brought much of the content to my attention.
(The use of blue indicates where I have removed the names before posting.)
"The roundtable agreed that the general medical services contracts between the NHS and GPs, which set out what services family doctors have to deliver, is nowhere near enough to ensure good care for residents. To get round that some care home owners pay GPs for "enhanced services" in order to ensure that a doctor will come when needed. Some can be reluctant and say it is too far to travel, the roundtable heard.
The name of care services regulator deleted found that 10% of owners made such payments. Other research has shown the sums involved range from £900 to £24,000 a year and average about £7,000. But these payments – called retainers – "are somewhat shrouded in mystery", the roundtable heard. Last year's name of society deleted report said such fees were potentially unlawful, as they could be seen as GPs being paid double for providing care that should be available free to all NHS patients on their list. One participant said: "We are breaking the rules of the NHS – people should have care that is free at the point of delivery."
One care home chain pays retainers averaging £10,700 to 38% of the practices that look after their patients. One participant even knew of some cases where GPs "ask for cheques to be made out to them personally". Interestingly, some panellists said that as far as they know paying these extra fees is no guarantee of better quality care."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/healthcare-network/2012/nov/28/care-home-residents-quality-healthcare
A report that may shock and surprise some people. Sadly, my own experience had already brought much of the content to my attention.
(The use of blue indicates where I have removed the names before posting.)