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Cornwall's Primary Care - Strategic Review Announced

The new Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust (PCT) came into existence at midnight on 1 October and the new Chief Executive, Ann James, today (Monday) announced details of a major strategic review of healthcare in Cornwall.
“The strategic review will establish a clear future direction for the improvement of healthcare in Cornwall,” she said. “It will cover all health services including hospital services and primary care services. We begin with a clean sheet. We have no preconceived notions. Any ideas that have been rumoured or discussed in the last few weeks or months will either fit within the PCT’s strategic review or they will be withdrawn.”

The review will be chaired by an independent chairman and Cornwall County Council’s Health and Adult Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee has endorsed the review plans. Work on the review will begin immediately.

Members of the public will have an opportunity to express their views at a series of major “Question Time” events to be held around Cornwall and the independent chair will take evidence from patients and patient groups at “Select Committee” style public hearings also in different locations.

“I am determined to ensure this strategic review is conducted in partnership with all the key players including the public, public representatives, staff, social care partners and other stakeholders,” said Ann James. “We must restore and rebuild trust in the NHS and the services it provides. We must listen and learn but we must also explain clearly why health services need to change in the early 21st century.”

Ann James takes over the leadership of the new PCT following a period as Chief Executive of Plymouth Teaching PCT, one of the largest PCTs in the country. The new Cornwall-wide PCT is being created by merging together the three former PCTs of West of Cornwall, Central Cornwall and North and East Cornwall.

The new PCT will be a strategic commissioner of health services for the whole of Cornwall but it will be more streamlined and more efficient than the three organisations it replaces thereby releasing more resources for patient services.


Additional information:

NHS reorganisation

At the end of last year the NHS undertook extensive public consultation on the reorganisation of ambulance trusts, strategic health authorities (SHAs) and PCTs as part of the Government’s drive to create a patient led NHS. The three month consultation looked at how best to reconfigure local health organisations to:

Strengthen the strategic commissioning of NHS services and the greater involvement of GPs and other frontline staff in practice-based commissioning
Support patient choice Work more closely with local government

On completion of the consultation the Secretary of State announced that from 1st October 2006 the three Cornish PCTs would merge to create a single PCT for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Ann James

- After graduating from Lancaster University, Ann worked as a Marketing Manager in the private sector before joining the NHS National Management Training Scheme in 1989.
- During her training, she worked in New Zealand and Russia, gaining an important comparative insight into other health care systems. She has since worked in a number of senior posts within the NHS.
- Recent academic work has developed her interest in organisational development and team development, with a commitment to the development of workable and meaningful partnerships at all levels.
- As a Chief Executive of a large PCT, Ann chairs a number of multi-agency groups including the Drug and Alcohol Action Team and is committed to partnership working at all levels.