Doctors 'turn their backs' on Community Health Partnerships, slammed by report

DOCTORS have echoed a report's damning criticism of Community Health Partnerships, saying they have "turned their backs" on the healthcare providers.

Audit Scotland, which compiled the report, has called for a fundamental review of CHPs.

The British Medical Association, the professional body for doctors, said CHPs have become "bureaucratic monoliths" that have "spectacularly failed to bridge the gap between health and social care".

There are 36 CHPs with a combined budget of 3.2 billion for improving community healthcare, but the report found some national health trends are worsening, including more elderly people and those with long-term health problems being admitted to hospital as emergencies..

Dr Dean Marshall, who chairs the BMA's Scottish GPs committee, said: "It is deeply disturbing that with responsibility for such a significant sum of NHS funding, and despite the many bureaucrats that work for these organisations, their financial management, strategy and governance is so poor."

Robert Black, Auditor-General for Scotland, said: "Stronger shared leadership is needed from all partners to ensure services meet the needs of local people and are efficiently delivered."