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Press release: Government ambitions for the health in doubt without investment in management warns Confederation

20 Jun 2001

Responding to the Queen's Speech today, NHS Confederation Chief Executive, Stephen Thornton said: "we are pleased that today's Queen's speech included a NHS Reform Bill, which will help to further the modernisation of the NHS.

"The delegation of 75 per cent of the NHS' spending power to primary care is to be welcomed, but cannot be achieved without a significant investment in management resources in primary care trusts. It must be remembered," continued Thornton, "that getting money to the frontline, actually means getting money to the management boards of PCTs - which include doctors and nurses as well as other representatives from the local community. They make the spending decisions, and to do the job properly, must be backed up by proper information, financial and human resources."

"It is absolutely vital that when this delegation takes place, Primary Care Trusts have the right managerial capacity in place. Our fear is that, as they are currently constituted, primary care organisations will find it difficult to achieve the ambitions that the government has set out for them."

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Notes for editors

1. The Confederation is current undertaking a research project into the management needs of PCTs.
2. The NHS Confederation is the voice of NHS management. Our members include the majority of NHS trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and health authorities in Wales; trusts and health boards in Scotland; and health and social services trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
   

Contact details

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