Supplementary written evidence from the
Department of Health (CFI 01D)
1. This note provides some additional information
in response to questions received from the Health Committee—the
questions are given below in bold.
INTERACTIVE MAP
OF CONSORTIA
PATHFINDERS
It's not clear what exactly the pin-point locations
on this map relate to as regards Pathfinders. Can the Department
explain, please?
2. On our interactive map of consortia pathfinders[27]
the markers are centred on the relevant population centre for
a pathfinder, colour-coded by region. Clicking on a marker brings
up more information about a pathfinder. This is the only map the
Department has produced showing the location of pathfinders.
Can we also have an explanation, please, of whether
or not Pathfinder consortia have defined geographical areas? Fully-fledged
consortia will clearly have to have a defined geographical focus
(as they'll be responsible for locality-based services, services
for unregistered patients and liaison with Local Authorities),
but it's not clear to us whether Pathfinders are required to be
constituted on this basis
3. Each pathfinder will have a notional geographical
area, corresponding to the practice boundaries of their constituent
GP practices, although a detailed delineation of the boundary
was not a prerequisite of the local process to identify pathfinders
(the key criteria were:
- evidence of local GP leadership and support;
- evidence of Local Authority engagement, or
- an ability to contribute to the delivery of the
local QIPP agenda in their locality).
If Pathfinders do have defined geographical areas,
we would like to have a map showing these. If Pathfinders don't
have defined geographical areas, the constituent practices will
have practice boundaries and it would be useful to see those on
a map; or to have a map showing the approximate areas covered
by the consortia (as per the attached map of South East Coast
/ South Central Wave 1 Pathfinders, which is available online
at http://www.puttingpeoplefirst.org.uk/Regions/southEast/resources/overview/?cid=8646)
4. As the identification of pathfinders has been
driven locally by SHAs, we have not yet mapped boundaries centrally
in DH. Some SHAs have produced local maps, but not all delineate
boundaries; at this stage, it would be a costly, and labour-intensive
process to draw up a map, as individual PCTs would need to clarify
the practice boundaries of participating GP practices.
PCT CLUSTERS
As regards clusters, we appreciate that the DH
deadline for their formation is 1 June, but a lot of clusters
are falling into place already and the DH presumably has data
on these that can be given to the Committee in map form. The HSJ
has already produced such a map unofficially (attached)
5. SHAs are putting together proposals for how
they will ensure PCTs are able to effectively carry out their
functions until they are abolished, subject to parliamentary approval,
in April 2013. Proposals for how PCTs will be clustered together
will be signed off by the Department of Health. Only once the
Department has signed off geographies for clusters in every SHA
a map will be produced.
PATIENT CHOICE
On another point, we note from Sir David Nicholson's
letter to the NHS of 17 February and from the Department's memorandum
of evidence for the follow-up inquiry into commissioning that
the Department plans to issue in March guidance on the applicability
of Any Willing Provider to Community Services and will also soon
be publishing its response to the "Greater choice and control"
consultation. Is the Department able to confirm the dates on which
these will be published, please?
6. The responses to the Greater Choice and Control
consultation, including a response on Any Willing Provider will
be published later in the spring.
March 2011
27 http://healthandcare.dh.gov.uk/gp-consortia-map/ Back
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