Purchasing for all: an alternative to fundholding.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate general practitioner participation in a district health authority's purchasing work.

DESIGN

Questionnaire study of 131 Hackney general practitioners and 33 senior health service managers; review of the minutes of 28 meetings of the Hackney General Practitioners' Forum and the contract between City and Hackney Health Authority and the St Bartholomew's NHS Trust.

SETTING

Hackney General Practitioners' Forum.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

General practitioners' and managers' perceptions of how representative and effective the general practitioners' forum is; proportion of new quality targets and service developments contributed by general practitioners; main issues discussed by the forum and impact on district health authority policy.

RESULTS

99 (76%) general practitioners and 27 (82%) managers responded. Both groups perceived the forum as representative. 92% (24/26) of the managers thought the forum was effective but only 74% (70/95) of general practitioners did so, largely because some doubted that the forum was listened to 75% (103/138) of quality targets and 55% (16/29) of service developments planned in the 1993-4 contract were contributed by general practitioners. They also lobbied successfully for more resources for urology and community mental health services.

CONCLUSIONS

Input into commissioning via a general practitioners' forum can be both representative and effective. General practitioners need to work closely to achieve a consensus and those involved need administrative support. The relation between general practice and public health medicine needs to be strengthened.