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Archway
Development & Consulting Ltd
54
High Street
Bovingon
Herts HP3 0HJ
Tel 01442 817217
Fax 01442 879647
email
here
Registred in England
Company No 3326461
Registered
Office
C21 Herbal Gardens
9 Herbal Hill
London EC1R 5XB
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Fundholders Support Agency
also see http://www.pbcpars.nhs.uk for 2008 ideas for PBC
| Fundholders' Support Agency 1993-2000 |
Head Office |
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This was the largest independent adminsitation service for G.P. Fundholding.
Now, by 2005 we have Practice Based Commissioning
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The circle comes round
- Huge Data Set on Computer system
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Practice Based Commissioning
G.P. pracitces are to be given budgets again in April 2005. Different
from Fundholding, in that practices may only be able to hold onto half
of any savings. Also health resource group codings will be used, and
prices between NHS hospitals will be fixed. Also there is no managment
allowance as such, but PCTs will be creating incentive payments
The team that ran the Fundholders' Support Agency, the largest
invoicing data wharehouse can still advise NHS bodies on the new
scheme.
Fundholders' Support Agency was a company that provided full
administration and management services for over 100 practices. It
became the largest independent fundholding administration service in
the UK during the Fundholding era. It ceased trading in 1999 at the end
of Fundholding.
Fundholding is now on its way back, but we must never use the (F)
Fundholding word. Some PCTs are now developing area wide commissioning,
with many features of the old Multifund model. This is starting in
Yorkshire (North Bradford PCT May 2004) and is now to be rolled out in
other areas. There are differences with fundholding, the main one is
that it is compulsory in an area; but this avoids the problem of equity
that caused fundholding problems. Although it now looks as if practices
can ask for indiciative budgets.
The return of practice determined is a consequence of the intitatives
on choice of hospitals given to patients, and the development of
foundation trusts.
The Fundholding Support Agency software, licenses, and many members of
the fundholding agency team, are still around. We would be delighted to
help PCTs set up commissioning models and accountancy packages again.
The costs would be a fraction of that involved in fundholding
administration. There is no need to re-invent the wheel.
THE OLD AGENCY TEAM and services
Seven years' experience in innovative fundholding, starting with the first wave
Independent Agency
Professional management team
Full time medical input
Experienced accountant and financial input
Experienced data input team backed and validated by in-house doctors
HOW IT WORKED
Each fund (practice or group of practices) was administered and
accounted for separately. The Agency was not a Multifund model,
although the Fundholders, in localities, may have chosen to work
together on specific community projects.
The Central server computer system saved Health Authorities many £100k in computer costs alone in the first year.
THE SERVICES
Bronze Scheme
The fundamentals of fundholding:
Data collection, processing and recording;
Data management and reconciliation;
Day to day management and administration control;
Financial analysis, control and interpretation;
Audit and review.
Silver Scheme
The process of fundholding:
Bronze scheme, together with:
Preparing the commissioning plan;
Preparing the fund business plan, and;
Preparing the fund performance report.
Gold Scheme
Complete fundholding:
Silver scheme, together with:
Budget appraisal and negotiation;
Contract appraisal and negotiation.
The administration work is carried out centrally by our experienced
team. Accuracy and consistency of data management is achieved in this
way.
gerryb@bulger.co.uk
THE BENEFITS of Agency Approach
The only administration work that practises had to do is to pass the
data to the Agency. The Agency does the rest - hassle free fundholding.
Clinical responsibilities clearly remained with each practice as
practice doctors decide where and whom to refer their patients to. We
were developing a computerised scanning system to do this even quicker
via our intranet.
The Agency carried out the data administration and management,
reporting monthly to practices with fund results, graphical
representations and summaries.
Each practice did not have to hand over precious office space, employ
high quality fund personnel or become embroiled in fund paper work and
bureaucracy.
For groups coming together, the Agency acted as an independent office and arbitrator.
THE COSTS
This was based on a proportion of the management allowance, a figure
that was partly capitation based. A group of practices with 10,000
patients would have attracted, for full fundholding about £48,000
Preparatory was much less
Live year
Standard Fundholding Community fundholding
% of Management Allowance
* Bronze Scheme 40% 40%
* Silver Scheme 50% 45%
* Gold Scheme 60% 50%
We paid VAT at the full rate. prices Inc VAT.
Redbridge & Waltham Forest Fundholders' Support Agency Limited
Company No. 2918357
Registered Office: 7 Bourne Court, Southend Road, Woodford Green Essex.
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Why Practices should not have done it alone! |
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A cheaper Solution of Financial NHS Administration
- Cheaper
- Centralised Service
- Arbitrators
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| Click for Government Announcment Oct 2004 |
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We subscribe to the
HONcode principles