THE future is looking clearer for patients of the Okement GP practice. Devon Primary Care Trust last week told them they would ensure 'stability and care continuity'. Three members of the PCT gave a presentation and took questions from the audience at a public meeting at the Charter Hall, Okehampton, on Friday. The panel consisted of Rebecca Harriott, director of service development, Dr Nick D'Arcy, lead GP and chair of the professional executive committee and assistant director, Kevin Hale. The future of the Okement GP practice became an issue when the PCT decided it would no longer run the practice directly, a move it felt would be beneficial to patients. The PCT advertised in a national newspaper on December 21 2007 to try and find a new service provider for the practice. Interested parties have until January 29 to respond to the advertisement with a shortlist of potential service providers being drawn up by February 4. These will then meet with the PCT before final tenders are submitted by March 24. Each tender will go under scrutiny by an evaluation panel set up by the PCT which will include a patient representative, a non-executive director and clinical representatives. The PCT will award the contract on April 7 with a view to the new service provider taking over the practice by May 12. Two of the key aspect the PCT will be looking for in the potential service providers will be an 'understanding of and experience in the local area', coupled with an innovative and forward thinking view of the future. Patients fear a service provider will take over the practice who is more concerned with financial gains than the care of the patients. But Dr D'Arcy said cost would be the last deciding factor and the evaluation criteria will be weighted towards potential providers who are passionate about care, not money. The patient representative, who had been nominated by the practice, was officially appointed at the meeting— the PCT installed a patient representative onto the evaluation board after patients raised concerns that their views would not be heard. The representative, Ian Read, received unanimous backing at the meeting. He said: 'I think I can do a good job of this. We are all the shareholders here and we should have a say because we all pay our taxes and National Insurance. 'I'm a teacher by background and I work with health and safety for young people so I am used to digging to the truth of the matter. 'I will not be intimidated by the PCT.' Rebecca Harriott, in trying to hammer the message home that the patients are the PCT's prime concern, said: 'We will be coming back to see you, we're not going to let you down. 'The reputation of the PCT is absolutely on the line here. We're about delivering a first class service, nothing less.' l The Okement GP practice is based at Okehampton Hospital. The majority of patients in the Okehampton area come under Okehampton Medical Centre, in East Street.
