Dr David Colin-Thome

Short abstract

Health tsars: spin or substance?: Eight health directors (“tsars”) were appointed from 1999 to 2002. Katherine Burke asked them to summarise their achievements and other people to assess their work. A ninth “tsar”, Dr Sue Roberts, was appointed in March 2003 to cover diabetes. The full text is accessible at www.bmj.com

My achievements: Any achievements are never solely due to the national clinical director but to working with so many others. One of the requisites of the job is to provide a clinical leadership within the broad remit of primary care. The progress of primary care trusts is of fundamental importance. In supporting primary care trusts, I work with the National Primary and Care Trusts Development Programme of the Modernisation Agency, most specifically on the role of the professional executive committees whose members are predominantly clinicians.

I work closely with the primary care collaborative. I also have a new Department of Health role in developing primary care medical leadership and the initiative on GPs with special clinical interests. There are currently 1250 such accredited GPs.

What others say

Mike Pringle, professor of general practice at University of Nottingham, former chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners: The objectives to be achieved through David Colin-Thome's appointment are not clear to us outside the Department of Health. If there were any harder targets [other than advocating for primary care] agreed with him, then I haven't a clue what they were.

He has been very energetic. He has been very influential in the GMS [general medical services] contract negotiations, the development of the initiative on GPs with a special interest, progress in clinical governance and clinical audit, and health informatics in general practice. His greatest achievement is in listening to primary care health professionals.

Figure 1.

Dr David Colin-Thome

National clinical director for primary care

Appointed: May 2001