Equity and Excellence:
Liberating the NHS - Embargoed - Not for publication, broadcast or
print until 12/07/10 15:40
Secretary of State
for Health Andrew Lansley today set out the Government's
ambitious plans to reform the NHS during this Parliament and for
the long-term.
The White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the
NHS’ published today, details how power will be devolved from
Whitehall to patients and professionals.
Professionals will be free to focus on improving health outcomes
so that these are amongst the best in the world. Improving the
quality of care will become the main purpose of the NHS.
Patients will get more choice and control, backed by an
information revolution, so that services are more responsive to
patients and designed around them, rather than patients having to
fit around services. The principle will be "no decisions
about me without me".
Under the new plans, patients will be able to choose which GP
practice they register with, regardless of where they live, and
choose between consultant-led teams. More comprehensive and
transparent information, such as patients’ own ratings, will help
them make these choices together with healthcare professionals.
Groups of GPs will be given freedom and responsibility for
commissioning care for their local communities. Providers of
services will have new freedoms and they will be more accountable.
There will be greater competition in the NHS and greater
cooperation. Services will be more joined up, supported by a new
role for Local Authorities to support integration across health
and social care.
As a result of the changes, the NHS will be streamlined with
fewer layers of bureaucracy. Strategic Health Authorities and
Primary Care Trusts will be phased out. Management costs will be
reduced so that as much resource as possible supports frontline
services. The reforms build on changes started under the previous Government.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said:
“People voted for change and the Coalition Agreement set out a
bold and exciting vision for the future of the NHS – a vision
based on the principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility.
“The NHS is our priority. That is why the Coalition Government
has committed to increases in NHS resources in real terms each
year of this Parliament. The sick must not pay for the debt crisis
left by the previous administration. But the NHS is a priority for
reform too. Investment has not been matched by reform. So we will
reform the NHS to use those resources far more effectively for the
benefit of patients.
“The Government’s ambition is for health outcomes – and quality
services – that are among the best in the world. We have in our
sights a unique combination of equity and excellence.
“With patients empowered to share in decisions about their care,
with professionals free to tailor services around their patients
and with a relentless focus on continuously improving results, I
am confident that together we can deliver the efficiency and the
improvement in quality that is required to make the NHS a truly
world class service.”
Today’s White Paper is the start of an extensive consultation
that will take place over the coming weeks. The Department of
Health will shortly be publishing a number of consultation
documents to seek views on more detailed proposals.
Notes to Editors
1. The White Paper was launched in an Oral Statement to
Parliament on 12 July 2010.
2. Copies of the Oral Statement and the White Paper ‘Equity
and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’ are available from the
Department of Health Media Centre on 020 7210 5221 and from 3.30pm
at www.dh.gov.uk/liberatingthenhs
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk