PCT merger plans ‘ill conceived’
pharmafile | January 12, 2006 | News story | |Â Â Â
Government plans for a radical restructuring of the NHS have been condemned in a new report by a committee of MPs.
Late last year the government announced plans to cut the number of Primary Care Trusts in England from the current number of 301 to between 70 and 130, a move intended to help NHS managers save money and to improve patient care more quickly.
Strategic Health Authorities, the regional bodies which monitor the performance of PCTs are also set to be cut from 28 to just nine, but the Commons Health Select Committee said the plans were 'ill thought out' and would not deliver the cost or efficiency savings.
The MPs concluded: "The government is proposing another large-scale reorganisation of the NHS only three years after the last, in order to achieve cost savings and improved commissioning.
"However, while it is far from certain that either of these benefits will be realised, the research evidence is clear that this restructuring will set NHS organisations back by 18 months, with patient services likely to be affected in the interim."
Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt gave evidence to the committee during its inquiry, and maintains that the reorganisation can achieve savings of £250 million and speed the NHS towards a more patient-centred service.
"Stronger and more effective primary care trusts will mean reduced management and administrative costs," she said.
"This means that all over the country, primary care trusts will be able to decide with their clinicians how this extra money can be used to improve local services for patients."
Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents more than 90% of NHS organisations welcomed the report saying it delivered a timely warning that a cycle of perpetual change could derail improvements in NHS services.
"When the government published its proposed changes to primary care trusts in July – the subject of today's committee report – we stressed that any restructuring must not sidetrack us from delivering reforms to improve the quality of primary healthcare," she said.
But despite this warning, Morgan made it clear that the NHS Confederation agreed with the government policy behind the changes.
The NHS has shown remarkable resilience to cope with 23 major reorganisations since 1974 and we are confident that PCTs will ensure patient care is not damaged by this latest restructuring.
Morgan concluded that NHS bodies and stakeholders must be allowed to find local solutions to the challenge of restructuring primary care through public consultations, stressing there should be a 'one size fits all' approach across the country.
Related articles:
Industry braced for new upheaval in primary care
Thursday , September 08, 2005
