COMMERCIAL: Professionals providing community, dentistry and podiatry services in Devon are hoping to break away from Torbay Care Trust and become a social enterprise following intervention from the Department of Health.
The group, under the moniker of DENPOD, used their right to request under the transforming community services programme to make their case to the TCT board.
TCT’s provider arm has taken on the provider arm of NHS Devon and the organisation hopes to become a community foundation trust by 2013.
A report to the primary care trust board stated the board had decided it could not support the application due to the tight timetables.
It went on: “The commissioners were looking for a revised plan predicted on no growth; which took into account the standard NHS cash releasing efficiency savings (CRES) and more realistic overhead costs. The commissioners were also looking for the leads to articulate more clearly the benefits to patients and service users.”
Following a “lengthy” discussion the board offered to look at how the service could be more autonomous instead.
However, following the meeting the PCT was contacted by the DH and asked if the board would support the application if the timescales for implementation were extended. The Board approved the extension by written resolution on 9 May. If successful, the social enterprise would be up and running by April 2012.
Source date
6 June 2011
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