Red Tape

Thankfully, and perhaps surprisingly, as a GP I seldom get tangled in red tape.
Usually in my profession if something needs to be done I am in a position to just do it.
There is the overriding principle of doing whatever is best for the patient and in the end that really does trump all other concerns most of the time.
In business however life is different.

As you may be aware we are having to relocate the Surgery for a few months while some improvement work is done.
Relocating Boots Pharmacy is turning out to be tricky.
We've had Midas build a space at Unigate for the pharmacy to move in to. That is the easy bit.
Getting the PCT authorities to agree that it is alright for them to move there temporarily is another matter.
It turns out that pharmacy rules are complex.
For a temporary move the pharmacy is not allowed to move more than 500m from its original position. Or perhaps 800m in exceptional circumstances.
A temporary move apparently has to be for 12 months at least (?), but we hope to move for 6 months at the most.
Various committees have to look at the proposed move and invite feedback.
The committee met and after looking at the objections (yes, there were objections, we think from Morrisons) passed it to the Devon PCT to agree.
When they met they deferred a decision til December, because they were apparently busy working out how to manage their own demise. (PCTs are devolving their authority to consortia of GPs)
All this time we are accumulating costs having had to engage Midas to start the project as well as paying interset on the loan we've taken out to do the work, and not getting any work done.
It looks now as though we are just going to have to move anyway and hope that Boots can sort themselves out.
I hope that someone from the PCT can then come down and see if a pharmacy can function in the middle of a building site with all the noise and dust, power going on and off and all the other difficulties of access.
Common sense may then prevail.
It would be better if they could make that, what seems to be, common-sense decision now, but the suits are so tied up in due process that the right decision may never be made it seems.
Quite why our Primary Care trust has no apparent interest in Primary Care is beyond me.
We are taking a risk borrowing a LOT of money to provide the people of Totnes with a good quality Health Centre / Surgery that should last a good few years now. You'd have thought they might show some interest or support.
As it stands we are now looking at starting work from the Unigate / Dairy Crest / Daw's Dairy site on Monday 15th Nov. We'll let everyone know when it is for definite.

Another blog one day might be on why it was we couldn't use Rushbrook temporarily.
As and when I find out why that is I'll let you know here.