A CCG has revamped the existing minor surgery DES to include all minor plastic surgery procedures, under a scheme that will see practices take on more specialist care in the community.
The initiative, developed under new co-commissioning powers by NHS Chorley and South Ribble CCG and NHS Greater Preston CCG, is designed to save £500k and will see practices with the facilities take on plastic surgery that is usually provided in hospital.
GPs from any surgery will be able to refer their patients to the service at a neighbouring practice, if they need to.
Payments under the DES will be doubled for plastic surgery techniques as ‘minor plastics procedures are more complicated and will usually require more time than a usual minor surgery procedure’.
A spokesperson for the CCGs across Chorley, South Ribble and Greater Preston said: ‘’This will create more choice for patients as currently there are only a small number of practices providing this service across the locality, meaning patients are resorting to secondary care.
‘We tested the appetite for this among local GPs, and the majority responded that they would be happy to see patients who are registered with other practices.’
The spokesperson added: ‘A number of our GPs have previously been subcontracted by our acute provider for minor plastics procedures and approached the CCG about including this element in the local commissioned service. We have worked collaboratively with all stakeholders and have agreed that this element, following further development can be incorporated in to the local commissioned service.’
