Core Services ‐ The South Tees Way Forward

The Government White Paper “Working for Patients” asks new District Health Authorities to identify core services which must be provided locally for the benefit of the District′s resident population. South Tees Purchasing Steering Group has developed a list of criteria which could be employed in this task and has proposed a methodology using these criteria to identify which medical conditions must be provided for locally and which could be catered for elsewhere on a best value for money basis. Using this methodology it then becomes possible to establish what proportion of conditions in any specialty require core service provision. The additional problem of sub‐regional specialties is also addressed and a solution offered.