Race for Health
A news item in the 30th June British Medical Journal caught my eye. Race for Health is an organisation sponsored and funded by the Department of Health. Surinder Sharma the National Director for the Equality and Human Rights Group is the Department of Health's sponsor.
"The programme is led by the Primary Care Trusts and it aims to create an NHS in which the health needs of black and minority ethnic people drive the services they receive. Its focus is on three key areas: workforce development, commissioning, service improvement."
This has great relevance to City Hospital at the moment. Why is the Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust agreeing to commission an emergency service that will clearly be disadvantageous to the ethnic minority population served by City Hospital? Having to move hospital if you are a child or a surgically ill adult and need to stay in hospital longer than 24 hours is a worse service than at present. Why would they want to purchase such a service? If they cannot improve the service they could at least maintain the status quo while awaiting the wonderful new hospital.
Interestingly there are 15 pioneer Primary Care Trusts. One of these is the South Birmingham PCT. Perhaps Heart of Birmingham PCT needs to take a leaf out of their neighbour's book?
If you want to find out more visit the website www.raceforhealth.org.
Labels: Response
posted by Ken Taylor @ 9:01 pm
2 comments
2 Comments:
This is one of the things that amazed me when I first heard the plans going to consultation. I have come to the conclusion that the PCT, SHA and the Trust board are an old mates society, interested in mutual backslapping and support with improving health care and outcomes coming a poor second. After all, why else would the SHA have written such rubbish in the rubber-stamping of the interim proposals:
Robust language Louis but I understand your sentiments. Ken.
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