NHS Alliance finds its own third way
pharmafile | February 24, 2010 | News story | | NHS, NHS Alliance
The NHS Alliance has proposed a new business model for the NHS that would draw on the health service’s founding values.
In 1948 health and housing minister Aneurin Bevan based the newly-created NHS on a coal-miners’ co-operative in his native South Wales.
As the political spotlight once again focuses more strongly on the NHS as a UK general election looms, the NHS Alliance has put forward a co-operative model as its own ‘third way’ between privatisation and socialism.
In a speech delivered in Brighton yesterday Dr Dixon said such a co-operative model for the provision and commissioning of services would enable local ownership and accountability.
“By bringing all health professionals together – GPs, specialists, nurses and allied professionals – these local ‘co-operatives’ are able to work towards a common goal, rather than on perverse incentives that drive competition without improving the quality of care given to patients, as it is the case in many parts of the NHS.
“Co-operative models also call for a strong partnership to be forged between managers and clinicians, which allows them to pool their expertise and work together not only to create better services but also to save funds while doing it.”
Dr Dixon continued: “Co-operative models of provision and commissioning will enable local ownership and accountability, local clinical leadership and the sort of rapid innovation and attention to local patients’ needs that is required in a health service facing financial challenge.”
He added: “At the end of the day, having a local NHS co-op would mean that everyone would play their part – professionals and local people all co-operating and committed to making a better local health service.
In addition, Mo Girach, special advisor to the NHS Alliance on co-operatives and social enterprise, said GPs ran and managed the most successful co-operatives in England before they could opt out of out-of-hours services.
“In Spain, 60% of the healthcare is run under co-operatives. The success of this model is related to ownership and the fact that everyone is actively involved – clinicians, patients and staff, which is key to any successful organisation.”
Both the Conservatives and Labour have indicated that they would use a co-operative model for the NHS if elected.
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