Department of Health ask for views on the Coalition Government Health policy
The Department of Health has published a series of consultation documents seeking responses from healthcare professionals, patients and the public. The consultation process ends on 11 October and will inform the Health Bill that will be introduced later in the Autumn.
Consultation overview and links to find out more:
- The first consultation, published on 19 July and entitled Transparency in outcomes- a framework for the NHS, is an engagement process regarding how the NHS Outcomes framework should be developed. The Coalition government has indicated a cultural shift in the NHS from targets to outcomes and the Outcomes Framework is an important part of this. The consultation can be found online at http://bit.ly/dr6uyc.
- The second consultation, published on 22 July and entitled Liberating the NHS: commissioning for patients, is seeking views on the Coalition’s policy for commissioning including the use of GP consortia and the NHS Commissioning Board. This has been the most debated policy in the media with regard to the reform and is crucial in terms of how services are bought for a local area. The consultation can be found online at http://bit.ly/cwA86A.
- The third consultation - Liberating the NHS: increasing democratic legitimacy in health – was also published on 22 July. This consultation involves the integration of public health improvement into local authorities’ responsibilities and is closely linked to the consultation on commissioning. Under new plans local authorities will shoulder the burden of the public health agenda whilst being given (a yet unspecified) ringfenced budget to do so. The consultation can be found online at http://bit.ly/cxaHYE.
- The fourth consultation published on 26 July, Liberating the NHS: regulating healthcare providers, is the final consultation. This consultation involves restructuring the way in which Foundation Trusts work and reforming the role of Monitor. The new reform will see all hospitals become Foundation Trusts and thus have more independence from central control. Monitor (at present the regulator of Foundation Trusts) will become a broader economic regulator for all healthcare providers. The consultation can be found online at http://bit.ly/9wis0T.