White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS (NHS Reform consultation)
You will have heard about the government’s plans for a major reform of the NHS in England. The White Paper “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS” was published yesterday detailing how power will be devolved from Whitehall to patients and professionals. The changes will streamline the NHS with fewer layers of bureaucracy – Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts will be phased out, patients will be given more information and choice, GPs will take charge of the budget.
The government is consulting on its plans before rolling them out over the next three years and a copy of the White Paper is attached. The White Paper is also available from the Department of Health website along with other associated papers (analytical strategy, initial equality impact assessment, the Secretary of State’s statement to the Commons, the press release and the DH draft Structural Reform Plan).
Please go to http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_117353
The BBC also covers the key changes at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/10557996.stm