There can hardly have been a time when more discussion has gone on about the National Health Service and how it works with primary care providers on a local level.
Barely a day goes by without a committee, group, alliance, association or confederation giving its opinion on what should happen to the NHS and how it should interact with optics. Perhaps the party conference season will shed a little clarity? The Eye Health Alliance has said that as it lobbies MPs, in the Health Hotel, it will make it clear it expects the PCTs to be put in their place. The All Party Parliamentary Group (see news) has voiced its concerns about how cost savings will be achieved. The dentists, pharmacists and GPs have linked up with optics to show how health and wellbeing boards can engage with primary healthcare suppliers.
There is a political fear that PCT staff may simply end up doing a similar role under a different name. Certainly those on the ground (09.09.11) don't expect the end of the PCTs to spell the end of red tape.
But the reforms were always designed to put the power back into the hands of the GPs, so surely that's up to them? They will hold the power post 2013 some optometrists are already quietly working away with them (see news). The big question still unanswered is how much those GP will have to spend and what emphasis they put on optics.