A GP at the heart of change in the NHS throughout Hampshire and the Isle of Wight is retiring this week (Thursday July 21) to start a new chapter in her life.
Dr Barbara Rushton, who has most recently served as clinical lead (South East Hampshire) for the now former NHS Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), has been at the heart of CCGs since they were introduced as part of major health reforms in 2013.
Since July 1, the CCG has become part of the Integrated Care Board (ICB) for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Dr Rushton originally chaired the former South Eastern Hampshire CCG when it was set up in shadow form in 2012 before going live a year later – serving an area from Hayling Island, along the A3 corridor and taking in Waterlooville, Havant, Petersfield and further to the Whitehill/Bordon area.
At the time she was a GP at Liphook and Liss Surgery, where she started as a partner in 1988 before retiring from that role in early 2019, whilst continuing her involvement with the CCG.
Since then, her role has developed from being clinical chair to working across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight supporting primary care through COVID and the vaccination programme, as well as supporting the development of the evolving Primary Care Networks (PCNs) – the local networks of GP surgeries collaborating with each other to build resilience and improve patient services.
She has also taken on other roles including being elected as co-chair of NHS Clinical Commissioners and being vice chair of Hampshire Health and Wellbeing board.
Dr Rushton said: “I want to spend much more time with my family, travel again – and hopefully return to Nepal, where over the years I have supported medical centres in the Himalayas, teaching healthcare workers in remote mountain communities, which is a role I find hugely rewarding.
“Most recently I have supported GP practices, PCNs and primary care managers throughout the pandemic. I led commissioning of COVID oximetry at home for those suffering from COVID to self-monitor so staying safe out of hospital and I’ve been involved in leading the delivery of the incredible vaccination programme, which showed the NHS and primary care at its finest.
“I’m passionate about trying to tackle health inequalities and we have benefited from much learning around the vaccination programme about reaching out to vulnerable communities to encourage uptake of vaccine.
“I’ve also been leading the delivery of a safe virtual ward system across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight with community teams to keep frail patients safe in their own home, freeing hospital beds to help clear the backlog of patients awaiting treatment.
“One of the most obvious things the COVID pandemic has done is to accelerate a digital leap forward supporting remote patient triage by telephone, video and online consultations with more convenient access for many patients. Although I recognise that not all patients have understood this, I think attitudes will change with time as more people become technically enabled.
“We need to develop strong teams of health professionals with a mix of skills such as pharmacy and nurses working together and alongside GPs in hubs that offer staff with the right skills to support our patients.
“I would urge patients to access the most appropriate location for their condition – be that an Urgent Treatment Centre, use of online or digital apps or their community pharmacy. Many have the ability to manage their own condition and NHS 111 can signpost them to the correct service.
“The hospital emergency department is only for accidents and emergencies, an urgent treatment centre is for urgent care for a condition that needs treating that day and shouldn’t wait until the next, and a digital consultation is for conditions that are safe to wait, not for urgent problems.
“The days have long gone when a patient should see a GP about every health condition. There are other specialist staff to support the GP-team now – and that is the present, and the future.”