Press release: Health service leaders back proposals to expand patient choice

09 Dec 2003

Greater choice for patients represents an opportunity to transform the NHS but the scale of the challenge should not be underestimated, the NHS Confederation says in giving its backing to the proposals in today's White Paper.
Dr Gill Morgan, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation said: "The White Paper contains lots of practical ideas for expanding choice which will make a real difference to patients' day to day experience of the NHS."
The NHS Confederation submitted a joint response to the choice consultation with a coalition of patient organisations. This proposed Personal Care Plans, access to an Adviser, and investment in specialist advice and diagnostic support to transform services for people with long-term conditions.
Dr Morgan said: "We particularly welcome the commitment to increase the number of patients who have a personalised Care Plan and the announcement of new investment in diagnostic and specialist services in the community. This is vital if we're to provide better care closer to home for the one in three people in the UK with long-term conditions."
Dr Morgan added: "These proposals are an important start, but, as the report recognises, there are real challenges ahead. Making patient choice a reality across the service requires a fundamental culture change in the relationship between patients and professionals. We need to focus not just on neat policy interventions, but how we can work within the service to bring this culture change about."

ENDS

Notes for editors

1. The NHS Confederation represents the organisations that make up the NHS. Our members include the majority of NHS trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; trusts and NHS boards in Scotland; and health and social services trusts and boards in Northern Ireland. 
2. The coalition of organisations which submitted a joint response to the choice consultation were the NHS Confederation, Long Term Medical Conditions Alliance, New Health Network, Rethink, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Macmillan Cancer Relief and the National Asthma Campaign. The coalition also sent a joint open letter to Dr John Reid calling for a focus on patients with long term medical conditions, and copies of this are available from the Press Office. 
3. A copy of the Confederation's response to the consultation is available at /docs/choice.pdf
   

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