Shifting the Balance of Power (STBOP) and the PPA

'Shifting the Balance of Power within the NHS' represents a significant change programme. By means of the creation of Strategic Health Authorities (StHAs) and the devolution of operational responsibilities from Health Authorities (HAs) to Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) subject to legislation.'

From 1 April 2002 the 95 HAs in their current form will no longer exist and will be replaced by 28 new Health Authorities.

In October 2002, subject to legislation, the 28 new HAs will become StHAs and PCTs will be allocated their unified budgets directly from the Department of Health, therefore all prescribing and dispensing will need to be charged to the PCT and not the HA.

PPA Strategy

From April 2002, the PPA will redirect those information and payment services based on the 95 HAs to the organisation nominated by the existing 95 HAs.
With the formal creation of 28 StHAs and the transfer of certain responsibilities to PCTs in October 2002, the core payment and information services will reflect this structure.

Communication Strategy

The PPA is working with all PCTs and emerging StHAs to identify their make-up and to establish working relationships with finance staff, pharmaceutical advisors and others.

The PPA will issue an information pack in March 2002 to all PCTs explaining what they will need to have in place so that the PPA can continue to provide them with the required services and to identify the information PCTs need to provide the PPA..

For further information the PPA Help desk can be contacted on 0191 2035050 or

April 2002

HAs

• The PPA information systems [eg Prescribing Monitoring Documents (PMD), Itemised Prescribing Payment (IPP) Report] will continue to report on the existing 95 HA structure, however reports will be sent to the organisation nominated by the existing HA .
• The PPA electronic systems (eg Toolkit, ePACT.net) will continue to supply data based on the existing 95 HA structure.
• The PPA will continue to supply pharmacy contractor management information based on the 95 HA structure, however information will be sent to the organisation nominated by the existing HA.
• The PPA will continue to receive pharmacy contractor local payment data based on the 95 HA structure.

PCTs

The PPA will continue to provide the existing electronic and information services to PCTs eg IPP, PMD, ePACT.net.

PPA

The PPA will assume the task of recovering the costs of prescriptions prescribed in a hospital on a FP10(HP) prescription form and dispensed by community pharmacists.

October 2002

HAs

The PPA will retire all HA information systems including EPACT.

StHAs

StHAs will have access to ePACT.net, Prescribing Toolkit and IPP data, all at PCT level.

PCTs

The PPA will support the transfer of services to PCTs from HAs eg local payments for pharmacy contractors.

PPA

• PACT Standard Practice Reports will show PCT comparators in place of HA comparators for the October-December 2002 quarter onwards
• The PPA will assume responsibility for the issue of Prepayment Certificates (PPC), Medical Certificates (MedEx) and Maternity Certificates (MatEx) from October 2002.
  

Pharmacy/Appliance Contractors
The PPA will implement the national standard 'F' code for all Pharmacy and Appliance contractors for communications e.g. FGF99 will replace LGB999.