Positive Nation asks: what will be the impact of the NHS changes?
It's happening now. Instead of 99 health authorities, as from 1 April, England has had 300 primary care trusts - PCTs. Each with its own chief exec on at least £85,000, and a whole new team (it doesn't take a mathematical genius to work out where a lot of Gordon Brown's largesse to the NHS is going).
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At the same time, the sexual health and HIV strategy is being implemented. This means downgrading HIV from a specialised area of public health with its own money and legally enforceable guidelines, to just
another disease that PCTs must deal with, at least at the 'softer' end
of prevention, support and testing. If they cover a low prevalence area,
or don't, for example, think that the health needs of gay men or ethnic
minorities are a priority, then local HIV services could become a very
low priority indeed.
Positive Nation talked to decision-makers in the HIV world and asked:
What is happening? Will some good come out of all this?
A Primary Care Trust says:
Joanne Forrest, Chief Executive of North Liverpool's
Primary Care Trust, speaking at the recent Sexual Health conference in
Birmingham:
By 2004, 75 per cent of all NHS funding, and all local NHS funding, will
come through PCTs. They will manage all primary care, like doctors' practices,
dentists and opticians in the area. They won't
manage hospitals or specialist services like GUM clinics - but will be
