Government outlines NHS reforms
The government has set out the next steps in its plan to reform the NHS
Following the earlier publication of the White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS in July 2010, the Government has now released its response - Liberating the NHS: Legislative Framework and Next Steps.
It shows how £89 billion will go direct to Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) for frontline services - an increase of £2.6bn in cash, equivalent to a three per cent increase in funding for the NHS.
The document comes in reply to the 6,000 responses received through the consultation on NHS reform, and sets out a timetable for implementation. It also paves the way for the introduction of a flagship Bill in the New Year.
PCT Allocations and NHS Operating Framework for 2011/12 were also published today - setting out what the NHS must do next year in order to secure a patient-centered and outcome-focused service as well how to prepare for the new system of GP commissioning. It includes:
- the need to continue to improve performance, for example on waiting times
- Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) streamlined into clusters, working with GP practices and emerging GP consortia on commissioning as well as reducing running costs
- the role of the NHS Commissioning Board, which will operate in shadow form from next year to ensure an efficient and effective transition
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said that in order to meet rising demands and deliver improving outcomes for patients, the government needs to get the best value from the protected health budget.
He added:
That means cutting out waste, reducing bureaucracy and simplifying NHS structures so that we are able to invest more in improving frontline care.
Read more: Next steps for NHS reform (external webpage)