Primary Care Groups (Hansard, 19 June 2000)

§ Mr. Jim Cunningham
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what formal channels of communication exist between primary care groups in the West Midlands and other primary care groups(a) locally, (b) regionally and (c) nationally. [125680]

§ Mr. Denham
[holding answer 12 June 2000]: From the outset primary care groups (PCGs) have recognised the importance of working together both formally and informally.
The East Midlands is not recognised as a designated health region. However, in the West Midlands PCG chief officers and chairs, as well as board members, contribute to local working groups on clinical governance, health improvement, and commissioning as well as other functional areas. A local forum for chief executives and chairs of PCGs meet on a regular basis in Coventry.
In addition, PCG officers attend quarterly network meetings and PCG nurse board members hold bi-monthly network meetings across the West Midlands depending on availability of appropriate venues.
There are currently no formal channels of communication for PCGs at national level, but a number of networking developments have been well received. PCGs moving to primary care trust status this year have had the benefit of a national development network and I understand that PCGs in the West Midlands were part of the Northern network.
Many PCGs took up the opportunity to participate in the national primary care collaborative and one of the successful applicants from the West Midlands was Coventry East.
The National Health Service at all levels is making increasing use of e-mail and websites to facilitate communications.

§ Mr. Jim Cunningham
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has issued to primary care groups about local health information campaigns. [126102]

§ Mr. Denham
Primary care groups are expected to work with other local health and partner organisations to tackle local and national health priorities identified in the Health Improvement Programme. In doing so, they will need to play a full and appropriate role in local campaigns to inform and educate their local populations about health and health services.