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Primary care trusts. Nurture not nature
1Royal Free and University College Medical School, London.
The Health Service Journal
|March 9, 2002
Summary
Primary care groups (PCGs) were introduced into the NHS with little opposition. However, their achievements in commissioning and health improvement were poor, failing to transform the NHS.
Area of Science:
- Health services research
- Public health policy
- National Health Service (NHS) management
Background:
- Primary Care Groups (PCGs) were established within the NHS with limited prior models.
- The introduction of PCGs faced minimal political resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the achievements of Primary Care Groups/Trusts (PCG/Ts).
- To assess the impact of PCGs on health improvement and commissioning within the NHS.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative assessment of PCG/Ts' performance.
- Analysis of commissioning records and health improvement initiatives.
- Evaluation of the strategic influence of PCGs on the wider NHS.
Main Results:
- Discernible achievements of PCG/Ts are difficult to identify.
- The performance of PCG/Ts regarding commissioning and health improvement is unsatisfactory.
- PCG/Ts did not realize their potential to instigate systemic change within the NHS.
Conclusions:
- The introduction of PCGs into the NHS yielded limited demonstrable success.
- PCG/Ts' impact on health improvement and commissioning was poor.
- The transformative potential of PCGs for the NHS was largely unfulfilled.