Gloucestershire PCT Becomes a Pacesetter

19.11.2008

Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust has been successful in its bid to be one of three Wave 2 sites in the Pacesetters Programme within the South West.

The Pacesetters programme is a partnership between local communities, the NHS and the Department of Health and aims to tackle health inequalities arising from discrimination.

The PCT will work in partnership with local community, patients and service users and will work on two local change ideas based on clinical conditions – Diabetes and Stroke.

Jan Stubbings, Chief Executive of the PCT said: “We are really pleased to be part of the Pacesetters programme. We are absolutely committed to reducing health inequalities and making sure that the local NHS provides care, treatment and advice that meet the needs of local communities and the specific needs of individual service users.”

The PCT aims to build on its success in the care of adults with diabetes by engaging Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in preventative health and self-care initiatives.

Through local consultations, concerns have been raised by stroke sufferers about the recognition of the particular needs of those who have aphasia (a disorder caused by damage to the areas of the brain that control language). The PCT will be looking at this as part of the Pacesetter programme.

The programme will be funded for two years with the Department of Health investing new money.