NHS Vale of York CCG is giving local GPs control over the prescribing budget in an effort to balance the books.
The CCG, which is facing a financial deficit of £44m this year, will still hold the legal responsibility for the budget but will allow GPs to manage the budget in an ‘indicative form’.
The CCG has said the change will identify areas where the quality of prescribing can be improved, while reducing waste and inefficiency.
NHS Vale of York CCG is giving local GPs control over the prescribing budget in an effort to balance the books.
The CCG, which is facing a financial deficit of £44m this year, will still hold the legal responsibility for the budget but will allow GPs to manage the budget in an ‘indicative form’.
The CCG has said the change will identify areas where the quality of prescribing can be improved, while reducing waste and inefficiency.
The GPs taking part in this work have been asked to manage the prescribing budget according to the York and Scarborough formulary, designed to promote cost-effective medicines and prescribing in line with local policies.
Dr Shaun O’Connell, joint medical director and clinical lead for prescribing at NHS Vale of York CCG, said allowing GPs to manage the budget ‘will identify considerable savings which can be diverted to priority areas of health need’.
He added: ‘Prescribing in line with the York and Scarborough formulary will ensure high quality cost-effective prescribing and this will help to release efficiency savings from the prescribing budget.
‘Any efficiency savings made will be shared by the CCG and the group of GP practices taking part in this new way of managing resources.’
He said the savings would be used to reduce the CCG deficit, with practices ‘able to use their share of savings to reinvest back into primary care services’.
Dr Andrew Field, a local GP and chair of City and Vale GP Alliance Board said he is ‘excited about the opportunity’ to manage the budget.
He said: ‘Patients should be assured they will still receive the medications they require and this is about improving the quality of prescribing and reducing any waste of our precious NHS resources.
‘Any savings we make from reducing prescribing inefficiencies will be reinvested into improving patient services.’
