Successful medical meeting

On Wednesday, Audlem Online published details of a meeting that was to take place in Chester between local Medical Practice representatives and senior executives of the Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust (WCPCT).

Yesterday, Dr Russell Muirhead and two members of the Practice's Patient Panel met WCPCT's chief executive, Helen Bellairs, and three Trust senior managers including Iain Crossley, finance director.

It was a constructive meeting throughout and Audlem's representatives left satisfied with the agreed settlement. Potentially serious issues had arisen over funding for community health services paid for by WCPCT but provided over recent years by the more local Cheshire East Community Health (CECH).

The Medical Practice and patients' representatives were particularly concerned to maintain continuity of service over the twelve months from April 2011 until funding responsibility passes fully to GPs a year later. In particular, they were anxious to avoid any increased clinical risk if local Audlem and District patients had to travel to more remote WCPCT locations.

More on this as soon as we receive written confirmation that negotiations and contracts have now been agreed between WCPCT and CECH, which we expect very shortly.

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