This was raised at the first East of England Citizens Senate meeting on Tuesday. A member was concerned about GPs not carrying out annual healthchecks for diabetes patients, even though they are paid to do so. These checks can ultimately save lives - and money further down the line - by helping to prevent complications. The same goes for reviews for cancer patients which should be carried out 6 months after discharge. GPs are paid to do them yet very few patients report ever having them.
I think an important issue in this debate is that GPs are both commissioners and providers and hence it can become a challenge to monitor in a joined up way how they are performing.
At a time when patients and public are being encouraged to self-manage, support from GPs and community services in carrying out monitoring checks is vital. GPs are paid to carry out annual checks on diabetes patients, and regular reviews of cancer patients, yet there are reports of patchy provision at best. CCGs appear to be aware of the problem, but despite holding the purse strings often don't do anything - maybe because they don't want to tackle colleagues? It's the patients who end up paying
Surely the patient also has some responsibility for their own wellbeing, and can make an appointment to see their GP? If the GP is encouraged by CCGs to allow each citizen to have online access to their own GP health record (as set out in the NHS Power of Information initiative), this would empower the person involved, and encourage engagement in their own wellbeing
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