Proposals for NHS change
On 12th July 2010, the government published a White Paper entitled “Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS. This lays out its plans for changes to the NHS over the next 5 years; many of these changes will require new legislation, so will not be seen immediately. There are consultations on some aspects of the changes.
The full White Paper and 4 consultation documents can be downloaded from:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/
PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_117353
A few of the keys proposals within the White Paper are:
- Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities will be abolished (2012/13)
- A national NHS Commissioning Board will be established; this will, amongst other things, commission GP, dentistry and pharmacy services, specialist services provided at a regional or national level, and maternity services.
- GP Commissioning Consortia will commission the vast majority of health services used by their patients.
- Patient choice will be increased (eg choice of GP will not be restricted by where you live)
- Patient access to, and control, medical records will be increased
- Public Health will become the responsibility of the Local Authority (Cumbria County Council)
- Local Involvement Networks (LINks) will become the local HealthWatch, and a national HealthWatch organisation will be established. Local HealthWatch will still be commissioned by the Local Authority.
- New functions for Local Authorities include integration and partnership working between NHS, social care, public health and other local services, leading Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and building partnership for service change and priorities.
Commissioning arrangements may be of particular interest to Third Sector organisations who wish to tender to provide services:
- There will be a move to an “any willing provider” approach for community services, reducing barriers to entry by new suppliers
- Commissioners will be free to buy services from “any willing supplier; and providers will compete to provide services
- Providers who wish to provide NHS-funded services must be licensed by Monitor, who will assess financial viability
