NHS Changes - where are we now?

The law behind the current NHS Changes is still weaving its way through Parliament but where are all the amendments and changes at the moment.

  • The coalition wanted GPs to take responsibility for £60bn of NHS funds - now there will also be hospital consultants and nurses involved.
  • The coalition wanted competition to be extended to more NHS services - now competition will be limited to quality and not price.
  • The coalition wanted reduced bureaucracy and fewer managers - now more managers to look into perceived risks.
  • The coalition wanted an increased role for the private sector - now all providers to be assessed for their suitability to run services.

And what is happening locally:

  • The Practice has joined the Wakefield Alliance Clinical Commissioning Group - the group is well established and starting to make changes.
  • Wakefield District PCT has disappeared to be replaced by a cluster of PCTs covering Wakefield, Kirkless and Calderdale.
  • The Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority has disappeared into the North of England NHS.
But the big question is will it make a difference? Clearly there has been some reductions in management at PCT and SHA level, GPs locally have engaged with Clinical Commissioning Groups but is this enough to increase quality and improve the efficiency of the NHS - only time will tell.

Yet another watch this space ...!

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