Campaigns and Issues

I have recently received a letter from the Health Department with regard to the Health and Social Care Bill, the content of which is below.

'Last July, we set out the change we wanted to see in the NHS. We also set out why the NHS needs to change: first, because we want to protect and improve the NHS so that it can be even better in the future; and second, because - with the pressures of an ageing and increasing population, new technologies and rising costs - the NHS has to adapt and improve.

The changes we are making are clear:

• Shifting power and resources from the back-office to frontline staff and local communities
• Devolving decision-making power from bureaucracy to doctors and nurses
• Giving patients more information and choice about where they are treated
• Introducing local accountability with a new powerful role for local Government

We are making real progress:

• Since the General Election, there are 3,000 fewer managers (beginning to reverse the doubling in the number of managers under Labour) and 2,500 more doctors - and our new 'Health and Wellbeing Boards' to drive integration and democratic accountability in the NHS are being established in 90% of the country
• Groups of GPs from over 6,500 practices now cover 45 million people in our 'pathfinder consortia', taking the lead in improving local NHS services
• We are being more transparent about hospital performance: on things like hospital-acquired infections, and the number of times patients are placed in mixed-sex accommodation

But we also recognise there are some big questions about what we're doing. Doctors and nurses are asking about what our plans will mean for them. Patients and carers want to see how our changes will improve services for them. We hear that - and we want to continue to work with them.

Now that the Health and Social Care Bill has successfully completed its Committee stage in the Commons, we're going to take the opportunity of a natural break in the legislative process to pause, listen, reflect and improve. This is a genuine listening exercise: where there are good suggestions to improve the legislation and the implementation of our plans, changes will be made.'

As Chair of the Committee stage of the Health and Social Care Bill I am in a unique position to give an informed opinion of the new NHS proposals, and I disagree with them for several reasons.

'No decision about me without me' has been the catchy line used by the Bill's advocates but it seems there is really no substance behind this: There is no requirement in the Bill as it stands for the National Commissioning Board or Commissioning Consortia to involve patients or patient groups in decision-making, so it is uncertain how this should work. While power has been devolved to Local Authorities and GPs there remains no improvement in terms of public participation. Furthermore there is nothing in the Bill to ensure patients are able to have a say in the running of their own GP Consortia.  Clearly 'no decision about me without me' is a delusion and this must be addressed before the next stage of the Bill takes place.

Share this page: