Building on the Best

Choice, Responsiveness and Equity in the NHS
Dec 2003

Freeing up access in primary care
Some key quotes:

'More flexible access for all - wider range of providers, wider range of services'

• Develop a wider range of primary care providers, offering a wider range of services

• Promote easier access to diagnostic services in a primary care setting

• These services could be delivered by a number of providers including private providers treating NHS patients

• For many, this range of services will provide them with the choice and flexibility of care that meets their needs

• Primary care trusts, rather than practices, provide 'out of hours' care. This separation of responsibility for a daytime contract and a night time/weekend contract increases the flexibility around who provides care

• One consequence is that new 'out of hours' providers will emerge

• Diagnostic and specialist services will also increasingly be in places that are more convenient to patients

• Primary care trusts will develop a range of services previously only available in hospitals, by working with a variety of providers

• Further developments in technology mean that an increasing number of diagnostic procedures will be possible in community settings

• We think the independent sector, as well as the NHS, will have a role in this, where it can deliver additional capacity and value for money; we therefore envisage a national procurement programme starting in 2004