The Norden House Practice is involved in the national Personal Medical Services pilot scheme and has been a pilot practice since October 2001. It is anticipated that the Practice's status will change to full PMS level with effect from 1st April 2004.
PMS pilots are a key element in the modernisation programme of the NHS, improving patient access to the NHS by opening up new, more flexible ways of offering primary care services. The success of PMS has been demonstrated by its rapid expansion. Over 30% of GPs are now working under the new contract, whereas when the NHS Plan was published in July 2000, only four per cent of GPs were working to PMS Agreements. John Hutton has now said that "This expansion is good news for patients and the profession," and that "PMS is here to stay."
The NHS (Primary Care) Act 1997 allowed for the introduction of 'PMS pilots'. The term 'personal medical services ('PMS') refers to the same type of services as General Medical Services, but it differentiates the services as being delivered under a pilot scheme. PMS pilot schemes are voluntary and are intended to give Primary Care Trusts, Strategic Health Authorities and providers - particularly GPs, nurses - the flexibility and opportunity to innovate by offering different options for addressing primary care needs. Doctors, nurses and PCTs that become PMS pilots, are able to negotiate directly with their commissioner to provide the services patients want, for example, varying surgery times to meet the needs of the local population, including addressing the needs of particular groups, e.g. the homeless.
