This Toolkit provides a really useful compendium of practical advice for existing and fledgling Federations, drawing upon the experience of Federations so far. With the brilliant support of The King’s Fund, The Nuffield Trust and Hempsons Solicitors, and under the leadership of Maureen Baker it is goes further than our original vision and is given the timely momentum created by the White Paper in England. Clearly Federations are not just for England, they are an excellent model for practices working together to provide high quality care wherever you work in the UK or even further afield.
In the years since we published the Roadmap I have watched with interest to see the ways in which so many of you, and your practices have embraced the idea of Federations, and the range of federated models that have emerged. I have also had the privilege of visiting some of them to pinch ideas and watch them win national awards.
Many of you are already working in Federations and I know that even more are actively considering coming together in this way. I really believe that Federations, as providers of services, can work well alongside Consortia, and that the opportunities for Federations to maximise benefits for patients are enormous.
Have a look - I recommend the Toolkit as an essential resource in taking general practice forward to the next level.
You can have a look at the Toolkit here: FEDERATIONS TOOLKIT
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© Justin Grainge Photography (2010) |
I also spent yesterday morning at the launch of the Dementia Action Alliance and the National Dementia Declaration, which maps out the huge challenges currently presented to our society by dementia, and some of the outcomes the Alliance, of which the College is a member, is seeking to achieve for patients with dementia and their carers. It was fantastic to hear one of my real heroes – Tony Robinson – speaking passionately about the need to better support patients with dementia; he challenged the minister Paul Burstow who responded with strong words of commitment and by also signing the declaration!
I am so proud that the College is one of the forty-five organisations that make up the Dementia Action Alliance; there are 750,000 people with dementia in the UK and this number is set to grow to over one million people by 2025. And while the financial cost of dementia in the UK is £20 billion each year and growing, still there remains a disparity in the quality of care patients receive across the country.
The overuse of anti-psychotic drugs in the treatment of patients with dementia – the ‘chemical cosh’ – has been one of the central causes of concern in treating patients with dementia. I don’t believe that its simply about GPs over prescribing as some of the newspapers have claimed. It’s more complicated than that. We need a whole new look at how patients with dementia are managed, how patients that live in care homes are looked after; better training for care home staff, medicines reviews with pharmacists, better and rapid access to specialist advice and support, as well as more time for GPs. But we do need to ensure that we are all up to date in the management of patients who have dementia - an important aspect of our CPD.
I have given a number of media interviews on this, ranging from BBC’s Panorama (to be aired next week) and the Daily Mail, to ITN Lunchtime News today and, as you may have seen reported in the media today, the Alliance has pledged to cut the over-prescription of these drugs, and to reduce the number of dementia sufferers confined to hospital beds.
This pledge is part of the seven main recommendations marked out in the Declaration, which exist as the basis for a ‘national action plan’. These recommendations are designed to improve the overall quality of life for patients with dementia and their carers, and include giving patients more control over decisions; helping them to feel valued and understood; enabling them to remain part of a community and keeping them safe in the knowledge that research is continuing.
As you can see, dementia is an issue that the College takes very seriously, and I would like to commend the continuing dedication of Professor Louise Robinson, our Clinical Champion for Ageing and Older People, and of Susan Went, who is leading intercollegiate work in Healthcare Quality Improvement for care homes between the College, the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
You can read the letter here: LINK
You can read the Declaration here: LINK
As always, both I and the College value your opinions and feedback enormously, and I urge you to get in touch if you have any comments or questions for me.
Best wishes,
Steve
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