Wandsworth Teaching PCT
Profile
Second most populated inner London borough / Pockets of affluence beside pockets of deprivation / Over three times national (England & Wales) average of BME residents and over twice the national average of White Irish / More than 23 per cent from mainly Asian and Black backgrounds with a high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension; two major risk factors for CHD and strokes.
Our BME population faces big issues…
Poor neighbourhoods: BME communities often live in the most deprived wards. There are large numbers of asylum seekers and refugees.
Primary care: There is a high prevalence of hypertension and diabetes plus poor accessing of GPs, particularly among people for whom English is not their mother tongue. We need to work more effectively with the community to deal with their out-of-hospital primary care.
Lack of data: More detail required on these communities so that we know whether services and health outcomes are distributed equitably. Taking the decision to allocate resources to areas of greatest need is motivating us to focus on getting better information about deprived communities.
Loss of funding: Wandsworth is losing money in per capita allocation because it is considered a wealthy borough. This effects those who have real needs. Youth Wandsworth has a very young population. Forty per cent are in the 20-44 age group. Many young people are not registered with a GP and so make higher use of hospital A&E services.
Our workforce needs…
Career opportunity: We must ensure that we get the mix right in middle management which is often where our BME staff experience barriers to progression. BME people are substantially represented at director level of the PCT. BME communities have goodwill towards the NHS which must not be lost.
BME skills: Wandsworth has a multi-ethnic staff forum. It works with BME staff to support their skills development and knowledge so they can progress within the organisation. There is informal mentoring of juniors by senior BME staff.
Commissioning raises issues…
Using data: We need to commission services using public health data rather than simply services commissioned historically. We know, for example, there are high numbers of Wandsworth residents with hypertension and diabetes.
Fairer distribution: Working with GPs for a fairer distribution of services for BME communities.
Communication: We need two-way dialogue between communities and GPs on what is needed. An area with many refugees may need services commissioned that include integrated language support as a matter of priority.
Health conditions: So fewer people use A&E and more go to the GP in time.
We’re proud of…
Financial prudence: Moving the PCT onto a firmer financial footing. We have to operate within our financial limitations. We are on the road out of deficit. By 2008 we will be in recurring balance.
Race equality scheme: We’ve produced a robust scheme, and it’s not just window dressing. We have made some inroads into creating understanding within the organisation that race equality is integral to what we do. The scheme requires organisations to review how they work – their mission statements, performance management objectives and procurement practices.
The PCT board cares: It works well as a team and has accepted its responsibility for taking equality and diversity forward.
Next steps…
We want our commissioning decisions based on public health data of our community needs. We will embed equality and diversity into the framework of the PCT. It is too easy, for example, for the diversity committee to become an information exchange rather than leading action. So the committee has reduced its meetings from four to two a year, with its role being to set priorities and review success, with actual implementation being the responsibility of managers and directors. We aim to maintain a stable organisation in the face of an uncertain NHS, so that progress is not lost.
Programme Lead:
Jane Cameron
Planning Manager
Tel: 0208 812 7603