Doctors with the purse strings

The Government’s controversial NHS reforms, contained in the Health and Social Care Bill, have still to pass into law, but the main thrust of the reorganisation — the abolition of the primary care trusts to be replaced by GP-led commissioning bodies — is well under way.

Marina Berry outlines who the main players are on Oldham’s NHS Clinical Commissioning Group

A REVOLUTIONARY move will see the end of NHS Oldham in April 2013, and a new body of GPs set up to spend around £275 million of taxpayers’ money on healthcare in Oldham each year.

That body is known as Oldham NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and it has now named a team of 15 people who will influence how health services are shaped in the borough.

They have been appointed as clinical directors and governing body members of the CCG in a move heralded as a key milestone in its plans for the future.

The 15, who between them share 14 posts, will be responsible for delivering the strategy for clinical commissioning of health services in Oldham, helping to make sure services meet local needs.

They will also have a duty to continually improve services, reduce health inequalities and involve patients.

The clinical directors will each have a budget and oversee an area of health, set out by the Chronicle in today’s feature.

Each has pledged to work alongside health professionals, in both the community and in hospitals, and public- sector workers to design initiatives and services, monitor progress, and ensure improvements in health, as well as value for money.

The next step is to recruit lay members to the body, which include a hospital nurse and hospital consultant from outside the area.



WHO’S WHO ON THE CCG

DR IAN WILKINSON
DR Ian Wilkinson is the accountable officer of Oldham CCG.

The senior partner at Woodlands Medical Practice, he has been a GP in Oldham for 32 years, and has a special interest in renal services.

He was chairman of the Commissioning for Oldham Group, which is now the CCG, for four years, until November, 2011, when he was appointed accountable officer.

He is NHS Oldham’s Renal National Service Framework clinical lead, a member of the British Renal Society’s chronic kidney disease forum and one of only three GP members of the Renal Association. He was formerly involved with Macmillan Cancer Support and was chairman of Oldham Primary Care Group and NHS Oldham’s Professional Executive Committee.

He trained at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement in the USA and the World Health Organisation.

He said he was looking forward to the challenges ahead, and the prospect of delivering a clinically-led commissioning system to benefit everyone in Oldham.



DR ANDREW VANCE
DR Andrew Vance is a governing body member.

He has been a GP with Royton and Crompton Family Practice since 2001, and has a special interest in diabetes, cardiovascular risk management and minor operation procedures. He is a member of West Pennine Local Medical Committee.

He said patients were the driving force behind the motivation of Oldham’s family doctors.

He said they understood the health needs of local people, which was vital in ensuring patients’ current and future needs were met.

He added: “It is important that we not only care for illness and injuries, but also focus on continuing to improve health through lifestyle and ill-health prevention support and services.”



DR IAN MILNES
DR Ian Milnes is a governing body member.

A partner at Saddleworth Medical Practice since 1992, he has been a member of the Commissioning for Oldham Group, now called the CCG, since 2007.

He has been primary care clinical lead at the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cardiac Network for six years.

He wants to build on partnerships between primary care professionals and hospital consultants to bring a clinical perspective to healthcare purchasing.

He is also keen to foster closer relationships between the health service and Oldham Council, with both patients and improving the quality of care purchased at the heart of any changes.



DR ZUBER AHMED
DR Zuber Ahmed, clinical director for musculoskeletal services (bone and muscle conditions) and prescribing and a governing body member.

A GP at Sun Valley Medical Practice, he was a partner in the Alexandra Group Practice for 16 years. He is interested in mental health, diabetes, public health and child health, and has been a member of the former Commissioning for Oldham Group, which evolved into the CCG, since 2007, and is a member of NHS Oldham’s board and a Local Medical Committee representative.

He said he was looking forward to the challenge, and to making sure prescribing delivers the best patient outcomes, without wasting money.



DR ZUBAIR AHMAD
DR Zubair Ahmad is the clinical director for endocrinology (the body’s hormone-creating system which is linked to conditions such as diabetes).

He is a partner and trainer at Royton and Crompton Family Practice, has a special interest in diabetes and GP training, and is a member of West Pennine Local Medical Committee.

He said his aim was to help develop high-quality, patient-centred services which result in improved health, initially for people with diabetes.



DR KEITH JEFFERY
DR Keith Jeffery is clinical director for mental health.

A partner at Failsworth Group Practice since 1997, he is interested in joint injections and minor operations.

He was a board member of the Commissioning for Oldham Group, now the CCG, for four years until 2011, and said his aim was to make sure people people knew what mental health services were available in Oldham, and could access the right service for their needs, easily and quickly, and at the right time.



DR MATTHIAS HoHMANN
DR Matthias Hohmann is the clinical director for end-of-life care and cancer.

A partner at Woodlands Medical Practice, he is a former Macmillan GP adviser for Greater Manchester and Cheshire, having relinquished the role to focus on this new post, and caring for his patients.

His aims are for earlier cancer diagnosis and treatment, cancer care tailored to needs and ongoing care and support for cancer survivors.

He added: “I am also committed to ensuring people who are in the final stages of their illness receive end-of-life care in their place of choice and that community services are in place to support their decision.”



STEVE MAYER
Optometrist Steve Mayer is the clinical director for ophthalmology.

The owner of Steve Mayer Opticians, in Tameside, he is interested in diabetic retinopathy screening, therapeutics and prescribing.

He is the chairman of West Pennine Local Optical Committee and has links with the Royal Oldham Hospital’s eye clinic.

Swift care from the very best services are his aim, alongside moving the hospital outpatient ophthalmology service into the community to improve access and cut waiting times.

He also wants to see optometrists make better use of their skills and equipment so patients, who might otherwise have to go to hospital, can be cared for in the community.


DR ANITA SHARMA
DR Anita Sharma is the clinical director for vascular (which includes strokes and heart and kidney disease) and elective care, which involves patients referred by a GP or other community health professional for specialist medical care or surgery.

A senior partner at South Chadderton Health Centre, she is a member of the Local Medical Committee, a champion of work to tackle chlamydia, and has published three health-related books.

She wants to ensure patients are given a choice, with privacy, dignity and confidentiality, as well as working towards earlier recognition of heart disease in a bid to cut preventable death or disability.



DR DAVID McMASTER
DR David McMaster is clinical director for non-elective care and shadow board member.

A partner at Quayside Medical Practice, his interests include acupuncture, dermatology and musculoskeletal services (bone and joint conditions).

He has been a member of the Commissioning for Oldham Group, now the CCG, since 2009 and a member of the Local Medical Committee.

He said the prospect of being involved in urgent care was an “exciting challenge”.

He will involve members of the public and the people who provide services to improve the experience and outcomes for patients, and to make efficiencies.



STEVE HEANEY
Steve Heaney is a governing body member.

A practice manager at Block Lane Surgery, Chadderton, for four and a half years, he has 30 years experience in retail banking and is an associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and of the Institute of Management.

He believes his experience stands him in good stead for introducing changes and helping people understand them.

He advocates treating patients as customers, and has skills in bringing quality, efficiency and cost effectiveness to an organisation.



DR ANITHA PADMAJA
DR Anitha Padmaja is a governing body member.

She qualified as an ophthalmologist in India and then gained a fellowship in ophthalmology at the University of Edinburgh in 2000 before training as a GP and joining Royton Medical Centre in 2008.

A member of West Pennine Local Medical Committee, she has a special interest in ophthalmology, acupuncture and pain management.

She said: “I am committed to developing and improving services so people in Oldham can have good health and wellbeing, particularly around ophthalmology.”



DR BILAL BUTT
DR Bilal Butt is a governing body member.

He qualified as a GP in 2008, has been with Werneth Medical Practice for three years, and has special interests in health care for children and psychiatry.

He believes regular contact with patients has given him an insight to aid commissioning services, and said we are in “exciting times,” adding: “I want to help make services as good and cost-effective as possible.”


DR NASEEM GILL & KATHRYN TAYLOR
DR Naseem Gill shares the role of clinical director for respiratory conditions with Kathryn Taylor.

A partner at CH Medical Practice for 20 years, Dr Gill’s interest in respiratory diseases stems from previously working as a house officer for a respiratory consultant. He has a special interest in asthma care, particularly for children.

He said asthma was a significant health problem in Oldham, and he was keen to use his skills and experience to make a “real difference” to healthcare, both in the community and in hospital.

He aims to make sure the money available is spent in the best possible way to improve patients’ health.

Ms Taylor has been a nurse practitioner at Woodlands Medical Practice for 16 years. She is interested in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and effectively managing long-term conditions. She was a respiratory clinical champion for NHS Oldham.

She sees her nursing experience with patients who have long-term conditions as valuable in deciding the most effective ways to care for and support patients with, or who are at risk of, respiratory diseases.