Doctors making a difference for their patients, but they need more funding says British Medical Association

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 03 Jun 2004 - 17:00 PDT

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Doctors across the UK are leading innovative approaches to patient care but are blocked from developing their projects further by lack of funding and staff according to a new publication launched today (3 June) by the BMA.

A to Z of Doctors Making a Difference is a selection of 44 case studies demonstrating how doctors across the UK are pushing ahead with new projects to improve services for their patients. New medical treatments, better access and choice for patients and novel schemes to reduce waiting are among the latest initiatives.

The publication, which has a foreword by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, provides a snapshot of some of the pioneering work that doctors and their teams are carrying out in hospitals, health centres and GP surgeries all over the UK, including:

-- Dr Ann Sullivan and her team from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital have set up a project to increase HIV testing in local African communities

-- GPs are working with consultant gynaecologist Mr Nick Panay to ensure women with gynaecological problems are seen by a doctor in just a couple of weeks rather than waiting months for an appointment

-- Dr Richard Haigh a consultant at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital has fought for the introduction of arthritis drugs to treat some of his patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis. Although expensive, taking the drugs early on can help avoid painful and costly joint replacement in the future

-- Frustrated by lack of funding, Durham consultant Dr Bill Lamb has become a tireless fundraiser, running hundreds of miles in marathons to get enough money for his young diabetic patients to have much needed insulin pumps

-- Dr Andrew Hamilton, a GP from the Shetland Islands targets unhealthy men by offering free tickets to a special dinner if they attend one of his health clinics or a fitness session

What is clear from the report is that with extra resources, thousands more patients could benefit from such innovative schemes. Interviews with the doctors reveal that nine out of 10 wish to extend their initiative in the future, yet four out of five face barriers that prevent them from developing their projects further. Just over half (57%) of the doctors face funding difficulties and one in three report a lack of staff stopped them from extending their service.

Doctors are not short of ideas that could easily be put into practice. The BMA would urge the Government to involve doctors when making decisions on how new money for the NHS should be spent.

On launching the A to Z of Doctors Making a Difference, Mr James Johnson, BMA Chairman said: "We take you through the letters of the alphabet to highlight the innovative approaches doctors are taking to improve services for their patients. What is clear from these examples is that doctors are not standing still and accepting the status quo. They are continually searching for new ways to give patients faster and more accessible high quality diagnosis and treatment.

"A recurring theme throughout the report is how much more doctors could do for their patients with extra resources. The NHS has benefited from significant investment in recent years but only sustained and targeted funding will ensure that any new money delivers further improvements.

"We urge the Government to talk to doctors not accountants. We've got good examples of what works and doctors are eager to explore new ways of delivering high quality care for patients. Doctors must be involved in deciding on how any new money for the NHS should be spent."

Ends

Notes to Editors:

A guide to each case study and contact details for the doctors in England and Wales follows. Please contact BMA Scotland (press office tel: 0131 247 3050) and BMA Northern Ireland (press office tel: 028 90 26 9672) for their own doctors.

The A to Z of Doctors Making a Difference can be accessed on the BMA website at
www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/AtoZofDocs

A to Z of Doctors Making a Difference contact list for doctors in England and Wales can be accessed by logged in Press Centre users at:
www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/AtoZofDocsContacts?OpenDocument&Login

A to Z of Doctors Making a Difference: Guide to Contents

New drugs:

-- Arthritis - Dr Richard Haigh introduced anti-TNF alpha therapy drugs at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, p.6

Children:

-- Diabetes - asking children how to improve the diabetes service. Dr Bill Lamb has resorted to his own fundraising so children can have insulin pumps, p.17

Cutting waiting:

-- Women's Health - Mr Nick Panay is a hospital consultant working with local GPs to provide outreach women's health clinics, p.46

-- Joint working - Dr Sue Babbington, a GP in Cambridgeshire, has helped cut dermatology waiting times from 40 weeks to just four by bringing together the hospital's dermatology department, local GPs and the primary care organisation, p.25

-- Dermatology - Dr Jon Norris, a consultant in Dumfries, uses telephone consultations and empowers patients to help reduce waiting times, p.16

-- Local Anaesthetic Clinic - one-stop clinic for minor ailments offers same day surgery, Mr Syed Kazmi, associate specialist, Dundee, p.28

-- Vascular disorders - a "three-in-one" clinic for patients with vascular disease, Professor Matt Thompson, consultant, London, p.44

Multi-disciplinary and holistic approach:

-- Back pain - Dr Alf Collins provides an integrated back pain service at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, p.8

-- Back pain - Dr Glyn Towlerton's triage back pain service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, p.9

-- Urban - Dr Sam Everington's case study (London) is a holistic approach to general practice in an urban setting, p.43

-- Partnership - Dr Angela Lennox, a GP in Leicester, works with other agencies to treat health along with other issues such as poverty and unemployment, p.35

-- Cardiology - London consultant, Dr Brendan Madden, uses a multi-disciplinary approach to help heart surgery patients in their recovery, p.12

-- DVT - integrated pathways to DVT care - Dr Michael McCann from N Ireland has set up a system to help early diagnosis of DVT, p.13

-- Nursing homes - enhanced medical care to patients in nursing homes, Dr Jean Hannah, Clinical Director in Glasgow, p.32

-- Sexual Health - an integrated health and social care project in sexual health, Glasgow, Dr Rak Nandwani, p39

New technology/systems:

-- Cardiology - a new computer programme which shows patients the dangers of not continuing with their medication, Dr Simon Maxwell, Edinburgh, p.11

-- Website - using the web to identify the nearest free intensive care bed, Dr Anthony Wolff, Barnet Hospital, p.45

-- Queue - self check-in touch-screen computer for patients at Dr Margaret Safranek's Dukes Avenue practice in North London, p. 36

-- Early warning system - detecting medical problems early on using an early warning scoring system, Dr Atul Kapila, Reading, p.18

Disability:

-- Deafness - modifications to the GP surgery to help patients who are hard of hearing, Dr Judith Langfield, Bristol, p.14

-- Learning disability - health screening project to target people with learning disabilities, Dr Sean Donnelly a GP in Belfast, p.27

Outreach:

-- Women's Health - London consultant Mr Nick Panay works with local GPs to run outreach women's health clinics to see women with gynaecology problems in the community, p.46

-- GUM - Dr Ann Sullivan works with African communities near the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to increase HIV testing, p.21

-- GUM - Dr Veerakathy Harindra, Portsmouth, targets gay men in bars and clubs for HIV testing and hepatitis B immunisation, p.21

New clinical advances:

-- Keyhole surgery - under local anaesthetic for carpal tunnel decompression, Mr Dai Davies, London, p.26

-- Radiology - virtual scanning for bowel cancer, Dr Steve Halligan, London, p.37

-- Osteoporosis - early screening of patients to prevent osteoporosis or to reverse the damage, Mr Jeffrey Hallett, a consultant in Ipswich, p.34

-- Telemedicine - GPs can video-conference with specialists in A&E to deliver life-saving treatments, Mr James Ferguson, consultant in Aberdeen, p.42

-- Zzzzzzzz - new home-based diagnosis and treatment system to detect sleep apnoea, Dr Tom Mackay, a consultant from Edinburgh, p.49

Direct referral/drop-in clinics:

-- Hernia - direct referral system for hernia patients to increase patient choice and cut waiting times, Mr Mahir Shahabdeen, Staff grade surgeon, Maidstone, p.23

-- Multiple sclerosis - rapid assessment in new open access clinic for MS patients experiencing new symptoms, Dr Trevor Pickersgill, a Consultant Neurologist in Cardiff, p.30

-- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - clinic for women experiencing reproductive and sexual health problems, Dr Hilary Cooling a staff grade doctor working in Bristol, p.20

-- Sexual Health - Sorted on Sex young persons (14-18) clinic in Stirling, Dr Chris Kelt, Head of family planning in Stirling, p.40

Emergency:

-- Immediate Care - doctors attend medical emergencies or serious incidents, Dr Peter Holden, a GP in Derbyshire, p.24

Training:

-- Defence medicine - training programme for major medical incidents, Col Tim Hodgetts, Birmingham, p.15

-- Muscle disease - Welsh Neuromuscular network aims to improve communication between healthcare professionals, patients and carers through educational meetings and support groups, Dr Jane Fenton-May, Associate Specialist, Cardiff, p.31

-- Young people - lower sixth formers are invited into hospital to experience patient care. They can practise stitching techniques on bananas and dissect oranges using an operating microscope, Dr William Notcutt, consultant in Great Yarmouth, p.48

Lifestyle:

-- Exercise - exercise for people who wish to stop smoking and get fit. Dr Ed Wallace, Manager Local Healthcare Co-operative in Fife, p.19

-- Obesity - minimal access surgery for patients with severe obesity, Mr David Galloway, consultant in Glasgow, p.33

-- Smoking - targeted marketing scheme to help smokers quit, Dr Jammi Rao, director of public health in Birmingham, p 41

-- Men's health - novel ways of getting men interested in health e.g. offering free tickets to special dinners, Dr Andrew Murray, GP in Shetland, p29

Access:

-- X-ray - radiologists working at weekends to offer round-the-clock imaging service, Dr Bobby Corbett, consultant in East Kilbride, p.47

Relatives:

-- Relatives - Professor Romesh Gupta, a consultant from Lancashire, runs a communications clinic to involve the patients' relatives in their care, p.38

-- Bereavement Visits - Dr Brian Keighley, a GP from Stirlingshire, along with practice staff, visit the bereaved on first anniversary, p.10

Choice:

-- Assessing Demand - research by Dr Andrew Murray, a consultant from Kilmarnock, to see whether patients want evening clinics, p.7 Article comes from this web page of the British Medical Association

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