NHS Southern Derbyshire CCG is to hold a series of events where people with diabetes can discuss their condition with fellow diabetics.

The Diabetes Conversation Cafe will open its doors at three different locations across the region to allow patients to discuss the help they need to manage their condition with clinicians.

Vanessa Vale, Long Term Conditions Manager at the CCG, said the events would reveal the “patterns and insights that will give us a much deeper understanding of the real issues that affect people living with diabetes.”

There are around 27,000 people in Southern Derbyshire with diabetes. That figure is expected to rise to around 35,000 by 2030. Between 2010-2012, hospital related admissions cost the NHS nearly £2 million.

“As diabetes affects a range of different groups we are encouraging people of all ages to attend the events so that we can learn from a range of experience,” said Vanessa Vale.

“Patients are at the heart of everything we do and it’s important that our diabetes patients benefit from a patient-centered service that is designed specifically around their needs. This is an ideal opportunity for patients to influence our next steps and help us to make good services even better.”

The events are planned for 10 June in Belper, 12 June in Mickleover and 19 June in Swadlincote. Reservations can be made at 01332 868727 or by email vanessa.vale@southernderbyshireccg.nhs.uk.

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NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG has started a new scheme to tackle the expected demand in healthcare services from elderly residents.

Commissioners estimate that by 2021 the number of people aged 65 and over within the local population will have increased by nearly a third (30%).

The scheme, Fit 4 the future, will focus on four main areas: staying healthy, long-term conditions, dementia and end of life care.

Dr Mark Hodgson, a governing body member, said the CCG wanted to hear from patients about “what they want from local healthcare and how we can work together to design future services.”

A series of meetings will be held by commissioners where people can attend and give their experiences of care, outline what they require from the NHS and discuss what’s important to them.

The CCG hopes it will then be better prepared for the expected increase in demand for health and social care as the elderly population increases.

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NHS Wakefield CCG has joined a campaign to raise the awareness of dementia to improve early diagnosis rates.

The CCG has joined forces with Wakefield Council and the Alzheimer’s Society to promote the early signs and symptoms of the condition.

Councillor Pat Garbutt, Cabinet Member for adults and health, said it was critical in identifying the early onset of dementia to ensure GPs help patients as soon as possible.

The campaign encourages residents with any concerns to make an appointment with the GP as soon as possible. Although there is no cure, spotting the early signs of the condition allows patients to receive the best possible treatment and care to ensure they continue to lead active, fulfilling lives.

Although symptoms depend on the particular form of the condition, memory loss, trouble thinking and understanding language and judgement are all typical signs of dementia.

The CCG, which has around 354,000 registered patients, has identified dementia as one of its clinical priorities to improve health outcomes locally.

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The introduction of CCGs has not made doctors feel more involved in commissioning decisions, a new survey has revealed.

Research by Pulse magazine found that out of 303 doctors questioned more than half (55%) said they do not feel any more involved in commissioning services now than they did under PCTs.

Only 36% of GPs surveyed said the introduction of CCGs had made them feel more involved in commissioning decisions.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul said the lack of engagement was a result of the Government pushing the reforms through “at breakneck speed” which did not allow for “adequate involvement and organic development”.

The survey also found that a fifth of GPs had not signed their CCG constitution – only days ahead of commissioning groups taking on their new responsibilities. Doctors who had not signed a constitution, claimed they had either not been asked to or that the documents were still in draft form.

A health expert has predicted that the failings of CCGs will see them replaced after only two years by a more effective system of commissioning healthcare services.

Kieran Walshe, Professor of Health Policy Management at Manchester Business School, told the BBC 4’s Today programme that there are no real benefits to GP-led commissioning and accused the Government of being obsessed with this approach.

“This is the most recent version of GP-led commissioning,” he said. “None of them have worked very well. The research suggests there aren’t really great benefits in GP-led commissioning, so why this Government is embarking upon essentially doing the same thing is very hard to follow.”

Professor Walshe said the UK should follow the commissioning models adopted across Europe to get better value for money. He claimed that larger organisations instead of smaller commissioning groups are in a better position to leverage better deals for patients.

“GP commissioning groups are smaller than the old PCTs and are going to be like ‘corner shop commissioners’ – who gets better value for money? A corner shop or a supermarket?” he said.

“The change in all of this which is really interesting is the creation of the NHS Commissioning Board and its local area teams. That’s commissioning at scale. They’re going to be dealing with around 40% of the budget and they will be the driving force in this. In two years’ time I suspect we’ll be back sitting around a table saying ‘CCGs haven’t worked. What shall we put in their place?’ But the scale of commissioning by the NHS Commissioning Board may have some future.”

Dr Michael Dixon, NHS Alliance Chair and acting president NHS Clinical Commissioners, argued that Professor Walsh’s prediction was inaccurate and GP-led commissioning will see improved standards of care. “The benefits [of CCGs] are that doctors and nurses that actually see patients make the decisions as to what needs to happen,” he said.

“The Nuffield Trust report showed only last week that money continues to go into hospitals and not into primary care services. What we need to do is to turn that around.”

Evidence of widespread conflicts of interest among NHS commissioners has prompted calls from the BMA and the Labour Party for tighter regulation.

A BMJ study found that more than a third of GPs on the new CCG boards had a financial interest in private providers of healthcare, either as shareholders or as directors.

The NHS Commissioning Board stated that transparency over potential conflicts of interest would enable CCGs to self-regulate effectively.

Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham commented: “There is a real risk that the doctor-patient relationship will be corroded and public trust in the NHS lost.

“At the very least, ministers must bring in new rules to ensure that no GP takes part in any decision in which they could be perceived to have a financial interest.”

The BMA expressed concern that the reputation of GPs was at risk. Laurence Buckman, Chairman of its General Practitioners Committee, said: “In our view, GPs who are directors of, or who have significant financial interests in, companies who might be awarded contracts to provide services should seriously consider their membership of CCG governing bodies. Alternatively, they should consider their position within provider companies.

“We support the principle of greater clinician involvement in commissioning, but it must not come at the expense of the trust of patients.”

According to an NHS Commissioning Board spokesman, “it is vital that everyone working for a CCG or serving on its governing body declares any interests they have. This allows the CCG to put arrangements in place to ensure that those individuals are not involved in any decisions that would give rise to a conflict.”

The NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) has backed all 62 clinical commissioning groups in the third wave of its authorisation process to take on new their responsibilities from 1 April 2013.

Six CCGs were authorised without any conditions but five groups will be given intensive support in their development after concerns were raised. The remaining 56 CCGs were authorised with conditions.

The completion of the third authorisation wave means that 163 of the 211 CCGs across England have now been given the green light to take on their new commissioning responsibilities. From 1 April 2013, CCGs will be responsible for £65bn to commission local health services.

Dame Barbara Hakin, NHS CB National Director: Commissioning Development, said that the “majority of CCGs are now authorised and up-and-running”.

The five CCGs which were singled out for concern are NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford CCG, NHS Newham CCG, NHS Herefordshire CCG, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG and NHS Vale of York CCG. The NHS CB said these groups will still be able to take control of their individual commissioning budgets but will be given “intensive support”.

Issues raised by the board include the clear and credible integrated plans of NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford CCG, NHS Herefordshire CCG, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG and NHS Vale of York, plus the financial systems and processes used by NHS Newham CCG.

The remaining 48 CCGs are set to authorised next month.

The NHS Commissioning Board has authorised a further 67 clinical commissioning groups to take on local responsibilities for healthcare budgets and services.

All CCGs in the ‘second wave’ of the Board’s authorisation process were approved – although three Groups will be given ‘intensive support’ after serious concerns were raised by the Board.

Dame Barbara Hakin, the NHS Commissioning Board’s National Director: Commissioning Development, said the “vast majority” of CCGs “demonstrated excellence” and were now ready for the “challenge of leading their local health communities”.

The three CCGs which the Board will continue to support as they continue to develop are NHS Nene CCG, NHS Herts Valleys CCG, and NHS Medway CCG.

Concerns raised by the Board include the financial modelling and implementation plan for NHS Herts Valley CCG; that the board at NHS Medway CCG builds a greater understanding and ownership of its financial plan; and that NHS Nene CCG uses nearby NHS Corby CCG as its lead commissioner for Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Nineteen of the 67 CCGs have been authorised with no conditions after they met all of the 119 criteria set by the NHS CB. A further 45 have been authorised with conditions, with the Board providing some formal support to help continue with their development.

Of the 211 CCGs across the country, the remaining 110 are now set for authorisation over the next two months. “Almost half of the CCGs are now authorised and we are moving at pace towards a clinically-led NHS that is focused on delivering improved health outcomes, quality, innovation and public participation,” said Dame Barbara.

“Authorisation is just the beginning: these new organisations will continue to develop, and I am confident patients will start to see real benefits in their local areas as CCGs begin to realise their potential.”

This month John Pinching is in the big smoke with Crucell’s high-flying city slicker Kate Evans. She has an almost Dickensian ‘rags to riches’ tale to tell – forced to wash pots in order to make ends meet, Kate had a ‘road to Damascus’ moment, and now she’s one of the industry’s shining stars. What better way to kick off the festive season?

A frosty winter’s morn, Oxford Circus (exit 8, to be precise), I meet Kate Evans (right) – resplendent in an aquamarine cardigan – and we alight to a nearby hot beverage purveyor. This ain’t called ‘Coffee Break’ for nothing, dear reader. Realism is essential – we do actually go ‘for coffee’. Having said that, Kate orders a tea, shattering the illusion. I, true to my word, request a latte. The checkout girl seems a bit stroppy, but we proceed with the interview, we are professionals after all...

What do you think of the new mag? It was very eye-catching when it came through the post, which is a good thing, because usually it gets shoved on a pile. It looked different, therefore I read it. It was fun, more relaxed and sharp.

Thanks, the cheque’s in the post. So, Kate, what’s your story?  I was born and brought up in Middlesbrough and went to university in Durham. I got a 2:2 and was mortified; I cried for an entire day. I thought I’d never get a job, but I’ve realised that it’s actually your personality and drive that get you through, not what’s on your degree certificate.

Where are you based now? I arrived in London two years ago when I joined Crucell. My mum still thinks it’s another country, but I had to go and see what it was all about. I go into the office a couple of days a week in High Wycombe and the rest of the time I’m out meeting people. I prefer to be on the road, speaking to the NHS payers at the coal face: finding out about how the reforms are affecting them and how we can work together. I’m nationally based, so I go wherever people want to talk and engage in interesting projects!

How did you get into pharma? After uni I got a position as a peptide chemist, which after doing a Biomedical Science degree seemed the job of choice. It was based in the north east and we were making synthetic proteins for pharmaceutical research and development. After about a year of doing that I was ready to leave the North East and I got a job at Nottingham City hospital as a tumour immunologist researching how to create a blood kit which could detect breast cancer earlier than a mammogram.

What happened to make you change career direction? I used to chat with the reps who came in to sell pipettes and lab equipment to us. Talking to them was the highlight of my day and I used to think, ‘What am I doing every day, just staring down a microscope?’ What they were doing seemed much more ‘me’. You got to chat to people..  At the time I had to work in a pub during the evenings in order to pay my rent. That was when I became obsessed with becoming a pharmaceutical rep.

How did you get your big break? I started trying to find a rep job, but a couple of companies said you’ve got no sales experience, ‘go and work in a call centre.’ There was no way I was going to do that. Eventually I got into the industry through Innovex and worked with them for two and a half years selling MSD products. From there I went on to various positions at Sanofi Pasteur, MSD, and then on to Crucell in 2010.

How is the relationship between NHS and pharma changing? There is still a lot of mistrust stemming back to the era when everything was about a hard sell. Now you have to be able to sell a value proposition, focusing on the new NHS targets. It’s much more about ‘how we can help you with your care pathway, reduce health inequalities and improve patient outcomes’.

What is the best way to ensure relations continue to improve in the future? The key for pharma is deciding who you actually send to the Chief Executive of a CCG, because a Key Account Manager in one company may be very different to another, and some have only ever covered primary care. It is important to understand the whole local health economy and its needs. You need to have at least read the CCG strategy plan, and understood how your product can link to helping them meet their QIPP and QOF targets. I was very passionate about this at the recent Pf Local Insight Forum: many of the people in that room didn’t know what a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) was. In any other business you wouldn’t go and face a client if you knew nothing about what they do. Other feedback I get from customers is that they want someone who can make a quick decision, not someone who has to go back to head office and get agreement.

Have you established some good partnerships with public sector organisations? My own personal experience of working with PCTs has been very rewarding. The uptake of flu vaccines can be low due to various health inequalities, such as transient population, reduced access to clinics, and language barriers. Using local hospital data, you can start to build a business case about how a project may improve vaccination uptake and therefore potentially reduce hospitalisations. It is important to tailor any project to the needs of the local health economy as each has different requirements. I have worked with NHS, pharmacy and other private providers in these ventures. As well as improving patient care, the projects aim to improve uptake and therefore increase the overall market in the process. It shows you can be commercial and still be part of the NHS’s agenda.

You seem passionate about your work. Vaccines, whether they’re paediatric, flu or HPV, have saved millions of lives worldwide and that’s why I’m so passionate about this area. The highlight for me was being chosen by Crucell Global to visit Bangladesh in June this year to see their vaccination campaigns and how money is being put back into developing countries that don’t have a recognised health service. Since merging with Janssen this year it has been very interesting to widen my horizons and apply my skills to other disease areas. I also contribute to the NHS intranet blog for the company, keeping everyone up to date with the reforms.

What other changes excite you? It’ll be really interesting next year to see the emergence of companies like Circle Health, who have already started to fulfil contracts on behalf of the NHS, easing in the whole ‘competition element’ of reform. NHS hospitals are advertising for marketing and business development managers, perhaps because they won’t necessarily get all the referrals from primary care, given that there are some really impressive ‘Any Qualified Providers’ out there.

You’re clearly a bit of a mover and shaker, what does the future hold for Kate Evans? Everyone always wonders where they will be in five years, but I just take opportunities as they come along. As the NHS changes, so will the jobs within pharma. Companies will soon need specific people to handle joint working, for example, and I am sure more even more niched jobs will start to appear as the new NHS goes ‘live’ in April 2013.

Do you have a good work/life balance? In the days when I was winning Rep of the Year in consecutive years, the ratio was more work/work! I don’t stay on the computer until midnight any more; however, sometimes when deadlines are due, work can still start to eat into personal life. I have learnt over the years how to manage my time more effectively; it’s just part of the job. You’ve got to have relaxation time in order to function properly.

The NHS Commissioning Board has authorised the first wave of CCGs to take control of the NHS budget to fund healthcare services for their communities.

All 34 commissioning groups were given the green light to take on the new responsibilities after the NHS CB approved individual policies, conducted site visits, interviewed group leaders and assessed work alongside stakeholders and patients.

Sir David Nicholson, the NHS Commissioning Board’s Chief Executive, said the creation of CCGs is a “great opportunity for the NHS that will have real benefits for patients”.

The NHS CB authorised eight CCGs in the first wave with no conditions after they met all of the 199 authorisation criteria. The remaining 26 CCGs were also authorised, despite needing to develop certain areas.

The authorisation means that more than 10 million people will now have hospital, community health and mental health service commissioned by local leaders.

“This is a step-change to a clinically-led NHS that is focused on delivering improved health outcomes, quality, innovation and public participation,” said Dame Barbara Hakin, the NHS Commissioning Board’s National Director:  Commissioning Development.

“We expect this to bring real benefits to patients as these new organisations begin to realise their potential. Many CCGs have already begun to make a difference by taking early responsibility for planning services.”

CCGs will be responsible for up to £65 billion of the NHS Commissioning Board budget from 1 April 2013.

The remaining 177 CCGs will be authorised in three further waves, set to be announced in January, February and March 2013.