Doctors win health visitor fight
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7698293.stm Version 0 of 1. Doctors have won their battle with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to keep health visitors in GP practices. The health board had wanted them to work with social service departments, despite concerns that it would break a valuable link with patients. A compromise agreement was reached on Thursday as a 22,000 signature petition was handed over to MSPs at Holyrood. Under the agreement, local GPs will have a say on how health visitors are used in their area. A statement from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "We have now agreed with the Local Medical Committee (LMC), the body representing the interests of all Greater Glasgow and Clyde GPs, on a set of principles for the implementation of the health visitor review. "Having suspended implementation of the review a number of weeks ago in order to work with the LMC to resolve areas of concern from local GPs, we are now pleased that a way forward has been agreed which addresses the concerns raised by GPs." The statement said Local Implementation Groups had been set up in each area to take forward the review and the LMC was now advising GPs to join them and agree local arrangements. "The set of principles agreed with the LMC sets out a combined geographical and practice-based model for health visitor services which will allow best use to be made of their specialist skills whilst addressing the concerns of a number of GPs," it added. Doctors and health service unions have said they will "watch carefully" how the new agreement is rolled out. |