The role of the Primary Care Trust (PCT) is to provide services or contract for services with GPs, NHS Trusts and others to meet the healthcare needs of the local population. They also work with other partners such as local authorities and the voluntary and community sector to improve the health of our population by working in partnership. Their main areas of responsibility are:
The PCT works closely with GPs and coordinates services provided by dentists, pharmacists and opticians.
Wigton Hospital currently has 26 inpatient beds (increasing to 35 in November 2004) providing rehabilitation to the older population of Wigton and Solway. As well as inpatient beds there is a recently refurbished day hospital running disease specific and general clinics. A newly developed out patient service provides a range of clinics. A dedicated Physiotherapy department provides treatment to outpatients and inpatients.
Community Nursing Services encompass District Nursing, Rapid Response Night Nursing, Continence Services and Free Nursing Care. The clinical nursing services collectively are accessible seven days per week, 24 hours per day.
The Intermediate Care Service (IMC) has a team based in Carlisle and another at Wigton Hospital. The teams are both multi disciplinary and multi agency. The teams provide support and intensive rehabilitation to help prevent admission to hospital and enable hospital patients to be discharged as soon as possible. The service has access to small number of beds in a variety of settings including a Nursing Home, a Residential Home and sheltered housing. The IMC team also includes an outreach team of specialist nurses providing early supported discharge for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The Public Health Nursing Service includes Health Visiting, School Nursing, Nursery Nursing and Family Planning. These services work with children, families and the wider community to improve and protect health. Services provided include: child health surveillance, vaccination and immunisation; health promotion and confidential health advice. Child Health clinics are located in Carlisle city and surrounding areas, including Wigton and Solway. The family planning and school nursing services offer confidential contraceptive and sexual health advice and supplies to young people. The family planning service also offers specialist reproductive and sexual health services to older women.
These services support clinical services in the delivery of patient care, including:
The PCT Board of Directors is accountable to the public for achieving the PCT’s aims and objectives. The Professional Executive Committee includes front line clinicians who ensure that clinical views are at the heart of PCT business. These clinical views feed into Board decisions on matters such as expenditure plans, clinical governance & safety, service development plans.
The PCT sets out its aims in its Local Delivery Plan to deliver the NHS Plan which is a ten year strategy for the NHS.
In August 2003 the three PCT Boards in North Cumbria agreed to a new single management structure, with a single Chief Executive for the three PCTs in North Cumbria.
Contact details:
Chief Executive
Cumbria PCT
Wavell Drive
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA1 2SETel: 01228 602732
Fax: 01228 603612Website: www.cumbriapct.nhs.uk