Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) has been with us for some time but in many areas of the country little progress has been made in establishing schemes. However, gradually projects are being developed and the opportunities for organisations to provide services under PBC contracts are becoming more widely available.

By Jill Mason, Partner, Healthcare team, Mills & Reeve LLP

Herceptin, Avastin, Leucentis �.. the list goes on. These are drugs that have become familiar names recently. Unfortunately for PCTs this is because they have been the subject of Judicial Reviews brought by patients who have been refused funding for such drugs.

Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), publication schemes were intended to be a showcase for information held by public bodies that could be readily accessed without the need for a formal request under FOIA. Schemes were meant to enable the public to see at a glance what information was readily available, how it could be accessed and whether a fee was payable. The evidence however is that the publication scheme regime has been poorly understood by members of the public and by employees of public bodies alike and that consequently schemes have fallen into disuse.

By Kate Marriage, Solicitor, Employment team, Morgan Cole Solicitors >br>
What is the current position with maternity rights? The Work and Families Act 2006 (the Act) brought about significant changes to maternity rights and flexible working requests with effect from 1 April 2007. Now is a good time to review how things are working.

By Martin Brewer, Partner in the Employment Team, Mills & Reeve LLP

Taking on an existing primary care service will almost certainly involve the transfer of an undertaking which, from an employment law perspective, is covered by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). These regulations serve only to protect employee rights on a transfer of the business or service in which they are employed. In this article we highlight some key areas for consideration for those involved in such transfers.

By John Cole, Head of the partnership law team and a member of the Health and Social Care Team, Morgan Cole Solicitors

By David Lock, Barrister and Head of Healthcare, Mills & Reeve

One of the most difficult areas for all clinicians is reconciling the duty to the patient standing in front of them with the need to make best use of scarce NHS resources and deliver the most cost effective treatment. This is a real problem that comes up for GPs on a regular basis as patients demand the most up to date and expensive treatment, with marginal improvements and often a questionable evidence base to support it.

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By Norma Beavers

People suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease are being failed by the health service and the Government, says the National Audit Office in a just-published report. Too few are being diagnosed or are being diagnosed much too late and the necessary drugs are not available for those who need them most, says the report.

In the first of a series of articles focusing on the legal issues that affect practice managers and their colleagues, Eve Piffaretti, Head of Health and Social Care law at Morgan Cole Solicitors, describes why preparation should now be well underway for compliance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.