Health Improvement Programme for
Doncaster 2000 - 2003

Strategic Direction

To achieve safe, effective and appropriate prescribing within the resources available.

Targets

• To reduce the level of the prescribing of Co-proxamol to the national average by 2003.
• To ensure that 85% of general practices are involved in the annual prescribing incentive scheme by 2001 and set targets to assess the success of the scheme.
• To assess 100% of patients known to be at high risk of coronary or ischaemic cerebrovascular events for suitability for asprin therapy by 2002.
• To assess 100% of patients with known heart failure for suitability for treatment with ace inhibitors by 2002.

General Commentary

The Government document 'A First Class Service - Quality in the New NHS' sets out proposals to support the delivery of a more consistent and higher quality of care for patients. The advances in new medicines over the last twenty years for the treatment of both chronic and acute disease means that the management of prescribing and other pharmaceutical issues is an important element of delivering that vision. Pharmaceutical products are provided in both primary and secondary care and, until the advent of Primary Care Groups, the separation of budgets between primary and secondary care provided an artificial break between the two major providers of healthcare.

The advent of PCGs, and their key role in promoting the health and improving the health care of their local population, offers the opportunity of facilitating a greater co-ordination of pharmaceutical issues across the primary / secondary care interface. This will provide a better integration of pharmaceutical issues within health promotion and health care and also provide a framework for delivering better value for money through an increasing emphasis on evidence based medicine.

Further information can be obtained by downloading the full text version of the Health Improvement Programme for Doncaster 2000 - 2003.

Any comments on this section should be submitted to the Theme Lead, Sandra Briant, Doncaster Health Authority, White Rose House, Ten Pound Walk, Doncaster DN4 5DJ, email: sandra.briant@doncaster-ha.trent.nhs.uk