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Press release: NHS Confederation backs treatment centre roll-out

12 Jan 2004

The NHS Confederation today welcomes the Department of Health's progress on Treatment Centre contracts as a boon to the NHS that will boost capacity, provided that the programme is implemented in the right way and is based on robust estimates of the extra capacity needed.
Nigel Edwards, NHS Confederation Policy Director, said "The Confederation backs the DTC programme as a vital way to improve capacity and access to NHS care, but we need to get this right. DTCs need to be planned properly, and should be introduced following full local consultation to identify where there are gaps in the service, rather than imposed on the local NHS from the centre. They must be implemented carefully because they will change the pattern of operations for local NHS services."
Nigel added: "The extra capacity offered by DTCs will help to tackle current waiting lists. We are looking forward to the next phase of investment which will start to address the needs of the 17m people in the UK who are affected by long term medical conditions."

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 service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
   

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