NHS Reform
Liberating the NHS: Equity and Excellence
The key proposals are as follows:
- GP consortia will replace Primary Care Trusts as the commissioners of most health services, with the exception of certain services commissioned by the NHS Commissioning Board. Services not commissioned by GP consortia include: dentistry, community pharmacy and large-scale specialist services. GP consortia will have a duty to work in partnership with the Local Authority.
- The public health functions of Primary Care Trusts and responsibility for local health improvement functions will move to Local Authorities. The Public Health Service will set objectives for improving population health outcomes.
- An NHS Commissioning Board will be set up to support GP consortia to carry out commissioning, to develop consortia, and to allocate and account for NHS resources. The Board wll also promote and support patient choice. Commissioning will be outcome-focused.
- There will be a greater use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and other patient experience data and a new National Outcomes Framework by which services can be measured and delivered.
- Extension of patient choice of provider to choice of consultant and to allow members of the public to register with any GP practice. An "information revolution" will enable people to access "the information that they want".
- All NHS trusts to become Foundation Trusts within three years, opportunities for employee-led Social Enterprises within Foundation Trusts. "Foundation Trusts will not be privatised". All trusts' finances to be monitored by Monitor (the Foundation Trust regulator).
- The Government will move as soon as possible to an "any willing provider approach" for community services and make it easier for new suppliers to provide services. All community services will be provided by foundation trusts or other types of provider.
- The Government wishes to break down barriers between social care and health and encourage preventative action.
- A commission will be established to consider the funding of long-term care and support. A White Paper on social care will be published in 2011.
- LINks will become Healthwatch. There will be a national Healthwatch, called Healthwatch England, which will be part of the Care Quality Commission. The Local Authority, which will commission local Healthwatch, may also commission further activity from the local or national Healthwatch, such as complaints/advocacy services.