primary care groups

at the heart of the new NHS strategy in the UK, these groups came into being in 1999 and consist of groups of local healthcare and social care professionals (including social workers) who together with patient and Health Authority representatives take devolved responsibility for planning and implementing health policy in the context of local healthcare needs. Primary care groups are designed to replace the market principles in healthcare that the Conservative Government introduced with a new structure based around 'stakeholder’ groups. Formally they have three main functions: to improve the health of, and address health inequalities in, their communities; to develop primary care and community services across the Primary Care Group and to advise on, or commission directly, a range of hospital services for patients within their area which appropriately meets patients needs. In the long run some PCGs will have Health Trust status and will be able to commission care, manage a devolved budget and have responsibility for primary care services within a locality. In policy terms they represent new forms of organizational partnerships between statutory and voluntary bodies in health and in social care.

Collins Dictionary of Sociology, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2000

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References in periodicals archive

There have been ten major reorganisations since 1997 - for example the creation of Primary Care Groups (1997), the abolition of Primary Care Groups and the creation of Primary Care Trusts (2002), and the merger of Primary Care Trusts (2006).

Constant Government meddling with the NHS

Getting Congress and the federal government to understand the physician's point of view on pay for performance is a goal for primary care groups in 2006.

Pay for performance

Primary care groups are pressing CMS to make changes to its new voluntary reporting program, which has fueled concerns about using unfamiliar G codes to measure physician performance.

Voluntary reporting program

Although primary care groups have shown much interest in a national information technology (IT) health care network, language in the budget isn't likely to directly affect the individual physician's office, Robert Tennant, senior policy advisor for the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), said in an interview.

President's budget plan takes first step with IT network

Representatives from 10 organisations including the health authority, NHS Trust, primary care groups and Wirral Multicultural Organisation, have helped shape the blueprint.

Health care plan

From April 1, Warwickshire will have three primary care trusts to replace the existing primary care groups.

Health care groups unveiled

According to the study, the percentage of primary care groups involved with provider excess-loss insurance rose to 67% in 1999 from 46% in 1998, while multispecialty practices jumped from 52% in 1998 to 89% during the following year.

Reinsurers to The Rescue

"General practices and primary care groups with high teenage pregnancy rates can consider using this information when considering recruitment strategies."

WOMEN GPs CUT TEEN BIRTHS

The company said the funding will be used to develop systems for primary care groups, or small networks of GPs, enabling them to gather medical and demographic information about patients in an electronic format.

MediDesk Receives $9.8m in Funding

"The freestanding physician enterprise, the freestanding IPA, the freestanding multi-site primary care groups are going to become objects of envy among physician executives who are trying to manage physicians within a billion dollar enterprise that has a lot of other businesses."

The integration rush: some second thoughts

Although primary care groups have shown a great deal of interest in a national information technology (IT) health care network, language in the budget is not likely to affect the individual physician's office--at least not directly, Robert Tennant, senior policy advisor for the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), said in an interview.

President's budget includes incentives for electronic records

She said: "I am very pleased to have been appointed to chair the new trust, which will bring together the functions of the health authority, primary care groups and Coventry Healthcare NHS Trust."

Go-ahead for health revolution