PBC lead of Goole, Howden and West Wolds locality commissioning group.
• My first reaction when I read the white paper was I bet the PCT staff use it instead of Andrex.
• The biggest question colleagues ask me about the white paper is where is the money to pay commissioner GPs and where are the GPs to backfill.
• I became chair of my consortium because – we don't really have a consortium yet, in the Lansley sense of the word, and elections are being held in three weeks. The current chair is a dentist who unfortunately needs extracting, not a proper doctor you see...
• If I wasn't involved in GP commissioning I would have more time to moan about what a cushy job it must be.
• The most exciting thing about the future for GP commissioners is having the remit to do a proper job on a population basis.
• The most worrying thing about the future for GP commissioners is the Daily Mail.
• The worst piece of NHS jargon I've come across is PIS standing for Prescribing Incentive Scheme; ill advised.
• The most useful website I use is you told me to say Practical Commissioning. Kidding, but it is good – practicalcommissioning.net.
• If I could say one thing to Andrew Lansley it would be invest to save. GPs cost 9% of total PCT spend. PCT management in our area 1.8%. Help GPs divert money from the 52% secondary care and 14% prescribing spend. They need proper management support to effect this.
• In five years' time GP commissioning will be feted as a success, if properly resourced. As long as we let ‘patient groups' orchestrate the rationing decisions.
• In five years' time I will be a Virgin employee, if I am not careful.
Dr Clive Henderson