Working together

Prior to May 6, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats pledged ‘better access’ was key to their plans, in fact the Conservatives promised to provide access to an NHS dentist for a million more people with an emphasis on preventive care.

With the launch of the Steele pilots, and the introduction of PDS Plus contracts by some PCTs last April, Software of Excellence, along with other providers, worked alongside the health department to ensure their management systems incorporated relevant reporting capabilities and they are rightly watching the latest political moves with interest.

As part of their health manifesto the Conservatives also made a commitment to scrap the Steele Pilots, whilst the Lib Dems argued that change to the contract demanded a piloting scheme although they fell short of coming out in direct support. The health department has been working on the logistics of the pilot scheme since June 2009 and the next wave is due to start in the autumn, but whether the ideas they are piloting will still be relevant under coalition plans is as yet unclear.