The NHS Confederation's consultation paper provides our analysis of the Government’s health reform proposals and calls for members' views on the health white paper and associated documents. The health white paper represents one of the most significant reforms of the NHS in its history and the NHS Confederation’s overriding priority at this time is to listen to members about the challenges and opportunities this represents.
The white paper proposes radical changes to where power sits in the system, realigns the existing hierarchy and moves from quasi-markets that were often really just managed systems to full-blooded market mechanisms with limited system management. It also represents an attempt to change the nature of political involvement in the detailed management of the system and the way that the NHS is held to account for its performance. Finally, it involves a very large structural reorganisation of the NHS.
This paper analyses the proposals and highlights key questions where we’d appreciate member input under each of the following themes:
- GP commissioning
- NHS Commissioning Board
- providers
- economic regulation
- democratic legitimacy
- outcomes.
We also look at the overall system and how the transition will be managed.