Health chiefs look for cuts alternatives (From York Press)
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Health chiefs look for cuts alternatives
9:10am Saturday 20th October 2012 in News
By Richard Catton, richard.catton@thepress.co.uk
HEALTH chiefs say they are still committed to saving £10 million, but may look at alternative ways of hitting their target.
Alan Wittrick, director of finance at NHS North Yorkshire and York primary care trust, was speaking after the Jorvik Medical Practice, one of the largest in the city, told patients in a newsletter that various cost-saving measures due to be brought in by the trust had been put on hold following concerns from GPs.
Last month, the PCT announced it faced a financial deficit of £19million and came up with a number of cuts to services.
In April, the PCT will hand over its spending powers to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), made up of local GPs, who will have responsibility for the billion pounds of NHS cash spent in the region each year. Mr Wittrick said: “We are still very much committed to saving £10million within this financial year.
“We’ve been in discussions with our emerging Clinical Commissioning Groups and they have suggested a number of alternative ways in which we could make these savings.
“These alternative proposals will be discussed at our next board meeting on 23 October.”
The latest edition of Jorvik’s newsletter told patients: “We are very worried that these significant and unfair PCT cutbacks to GP services across North Yorkshire and York, in order for the PCT to limit its debts by next April, will have a serious impact on patient care.
“Due to GP pressure, these cuts are suspended for now and are being discussed further, this time with GP leaders – but is this just a stay of execution?”
According to Jorvik, the health trust was looking to slash spending on GP funding for services including blood-taking services, minor surgery, health checks and neo-natal checks.
The next public board meeting of NHS North Yorkshire and York PCT takes place at 10am on Tuesday in St Michael’s Hospice, Hornbeam Park Avenue, Harrogate.
Comments(16)
CHISSY1
says...
9:47am Sat 20 Oct 12
peterstreet wrote:"So are the health tourists that are costing the NHS £40 million per year".
The money York Hospital services spends on taxis is unbelievable! and they use the most expensive firm! Suggest the G.P.s look at this when they review spending as the Hospital administrators never have or would, its to easy to let things be, after all its only taxpayers money! In the meantime the Taxi drivers are laughing!!
Older Sometimes Wiser
says...
11:15am Sat 20 Oct 12
I suggest perhaps you read the item again as it might help you understand the real problems.
Your views on taxis may be valid, but I suggest you raise these with the appropriate organisations.
YSTClinguist
says...
11:58am Sat 20 Oct 12
inthesticks
says...
1:58pm Sat 20 Oct 12
Older Sometimes Wiser wrote:I think the point made is valid, the spend all comes from one pot, whether the cost of sending home patients in taxis (patients who are likely to have a family member with a car) or increasing the ambulance service would be cheaper/more expensive I do not know, the point is it is spending by The Trust.
The two comments above are totally irrelevant to the above report on North Yorkshire and York NHS Primary Care Trust and Vale of York Clinical Commissioning group financial problems.These are far more important than you may realise!
I suggest perhaps you read the item again as it might help you understand the real problems.
Your views on taxis may be valid, but I suggest you raise these with the appropriate organisations.
Two years ago the Chief Exec DOUBLED the cost of staff parking and openly admitted it was to increase revenue, so any spend by The Trust is relevant in my opinion.
peterstreet
says...
2:21pm Sat 20 Oct 12
Older Sometimes Wiser wrote:You have got to be joking! irrelevant? how? your patronising and arrogant attitude is typical of those who spend public money. The financial problem is easy to understand though not so easy to solve. The problem arises when income from the taxpayer is not sufficient to meet the costs encurred. Part of the answer must be to rigourously examine all expenditure with a view to reducing same, a process, incidently which small private business needs to do continually to survive. Taxi expenditure by York Hospital and associated NHS has been estimated as approaching £1 millon a year. Its not just patients who are given taxis willy nilly, if they run out of anything they call a taxi. If they need to move staff they call a taxi! if out workers or assesors visit patients, they call a taxi and some of the journies are as far as Leeds and farther still,and why are the tender details not publicised? They should be, by the Press, the taxpayer has a right to know
The two comments above are totally irrelevant to the above report on North Yorkshire and York NHS Primary Care Trust and Vale of York Clinical Commissioning group financial problems.These are far more important than you may realise!
I suggest perhaps you read the item again as it might help you understand the real problems.
Your views on taxis may be valid, but I suggest you raise these with the appropriate organisations.
R'Marcus
says...
5:03pm Sat 20 Oct 12
peterstreet wrote:Yes, there are far too many people who will milk OUR N.H.S.
The money York Hospital services spends on taxis is unbelievable! and they use the most expensive firm! Suggest the G.P.s look at this when they review spending as the Hospital administrators never have or would, its to easy to let things be, after all its only taxpayers money! In the meantime the Taxi drivers are laughing!!
Start with the illegal immigrants. other immigrants, and of course, the pen pushers, "managers", and the pharmacists who charge the N.H.S. and they buy the medicines cheaply, from India and Pakistan.
Digeorge
says...
5:07pm Sat 20 Oct 12
I much prefer to see my blood results in a spreadsheet format and is far more reliable than manual records as I can see and judge the medication accordingly.
I also feel why is it still taking medical secretaries, 3 weeks to type letters when most Trusts are actually sending their letters out overseas and back within 2 days. By experience, some of this letters so routine, that they could be done on a 'template' and don't really have to be dictated!
Isn't it time secretaries actually turned round and say 'why are we doing this this way and not more modern methods, a shear waste of time!"
I also feel that in a recession and given the numbers quoted on anti-depressant findings that a cut in mental health services at this time rather bizarre and that these should be increased!
ReginaldBiscuit
says...
8:13pm Sat 20 Oct 12
Replace the 7(seven) figured salaried management.
Punch. The. Judy.
yorkshirelad
says...
10:27pm Sat 20 Oct 12
I think we have paid the price with a move from responsible use of public services to consumerist (I will have what I want when I want it and if I don't get it I'll complain). Since targets and complaints and ambulance chasing lawyers and essentially rampant consumerism, cost have risen exponentially.
Tha harsh truth is that pretty widespread selfishness has contributed to the crisis.
I'm afraid the same has happened to education, social services, the police and most council services. We want want want but forget that everything has to be paid for.
Lineker's Lad
says...
10:40am Sun 21 Oct 12
sheps lad
says...
10:56am Sun 21 Oct 12
Lineker's Lad
says...
11:35am Sun 21 Oct 12
...............
meme
says...
5:08pm Mon 22 Oct 12
If we want a health service thats viable then we should all chip in a bit more and those who use it can pay a bit
may stop the time wasters and cut down waiting a bit
Nothing comes free and despite taxes we either cut serviceback , pay more or end up like Greece/Spain
Its v simple
CHISSY1
says...
9:19pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Older Sometimes Wiser wrote:"Irrelevant",you want to get your head out of your rear end and understand what is happening to this country.
The two comments above are totally irrelevant to the above report on North Yorkshire and York NHS Primary Care Trust and Vale of York Clinical Commissioning group financial problems.These are far more important than you may realise!
I suggest perhaps you read the item again as it might help you understand the real problems.
Your views on taxis may be valid, but I suggest you raise these with the appropriate organisations.
York1900
says...
3:10am Tue 23 Oct 12
Drug Companies charge the NHS some of the highest prices for drugs that some drug companies will sell over the counter at a lower price and some times you get the same drug with the 2 or 3 different names and claims from the same drug company at 2 or 3 different prices
When you start checking things out you soon find that we get taken every time
drug companies have come up with a new wees and that is to move drugs that your GP could issue on a hospital doctors recomondation to hospital doctors only issue meaning that you are required to get a referral from your GP to got to be seen by a hospital doctor to get these drugs every time this is how money is taken out of the system and time is taken out of the system which puts up costs to use all
.
peterstreet says...
9:26am Sat 20 Oct 12