Dr Amanda Doyle
NHS Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is working in partnership with the other seven CCGs in Lancashire to review clinical policies across the region.
The eight CCGs across Lancashire have all agreed that there is a need to review their policies in order to ensure a consistent and fair approach, develop a set of principles and policies against which decisions about care and treatment can be made, update current policies in accordance with national guidelines and best clinical practice and develop collaborative policies across the eight CCGs in Lancashire.
These clinical policies, inherited from Primary Care Trusts, although broadly similar, have offered different approaches and rules. The CCGs recognise that this can lead to confusion and potentially unintended differences in services across the area.
As part of this ongoing process, six draft policies are now available for patient and public engagement and feedback. These policies are:
- The surgical treatment of Carpel Tunnel syndrome,
- Tonsillectomy,
- The surgical release of Trigger Finger,
- Endoscopic Knee Procedures,
- Male Circumcision
There is also an entirely new draft policy on (diabetic) Insulin Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices. The CCG is working with Diabetes UK in order to get their feedback and to arrange opportunities for Type 1 diabetic patients to discuss the policy at group meetings and forums.
Blackpool residents are therefore invited to read the draft policy documents and provide their feedback and comments by completing the relevant survey(s). These can all be accessed by visiting www.blackpoolccg.nhs.uk/harmonisation.
Dr Amanda Doyle, a Blackpool GP and Chief Clinical Officer at NHS Blackpool CCG, said: “Blackpool CCG is responsible for commissioning a wide range of clinical services, including secondary (hospital), community and mental health services and for paying for those services, for and on behalf of, the local population.
“We need to ensure this is done in an open, fair and transparent manner but in so doing we must take into account the limited resources we have.
“A key role for the CCG is to develop clinical policies that help us make decisions about the use of those limited resources. We have done a lot over the last year to talk to patients about our policies and there is clearly a large group of people who take an interest in this. We have a specific page on our website where current clinical policies that are under review can be found and people have a chance to give their feedback on those whenever they are ready for review.
“I would encourage any resident with an interest in these policies to visit the CCG website and have their say.”
The policy harmonisation page which lists all the policies under review can be found at www.blackpoolccg.nhs.uk/harmonisation
For the new policy on insulin pumps and glucose monitoring devices any diabetic patients, or in the case of a child or young person, any parent or carer, who does not have access to the online survey and/or may struggle or not wish to attend any group discussions can make arrangements to discuss the policy by contacting the Communications and Engagement Team of the Commissioning Support Unit on 01772 214244 or emailing haveyoursay@lancashirecsu.nhs.uk