Press release: Change to Balance of New Targets Welcome

21 Jul 2004

The NHS Confederation welcomes today's commitment to truly reduce the number of targets, but with 20 national targets remaining alongside existing commitments the agenda will remain challenging.

The Confederation supports the change in balance to independent inspection of standards which would bring more public accountability.  They recognised this has been made possible because of the impact targets had already made in the NHS.

On the move towards local targets, the Confederation expects to see this build as the NHS increasingly delivers on the national targets and standards. Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said "Those areas that are already close to hitting national targets and standards will be able to concentrate on local targets.  And, demand for local targets will put more pressure on the system in those areas of the country where they still need to concentrate on meeting the national targets and standards."

The Confederation also noted that to make a success of local targets there would need to be a cultural shift to a new way of working with the public and clinicians which involves them fully in determining these priorities.  Gill said, "We will need to go beyond engagement to genuine mutual negotiation."

The Confederation welcomed the recognition of the importance of commissioning to deliver the new approach and called for more help for PCTs to achieve the maximum benefits.

Gill also warned that efficiency savings expected from the NHS would make the task of achieving the new targets more difficult: "The NHS is required to make a total 9% efficiency saving in its budget over the coming three years, which will be extremely challenging in itself and will make the other new targets more difficult to achieve."

Commenting on the target for supporting people with long term condition, the Confederation welcomed the target for a personalised care plan for vulnerable people most at risk, and called for this to be extended further for everybody with a long term condition.

Notes for editors

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.

Contact details

An ISDN line is available for radio interviews (020 7959 7283). To arrange an ISDN interview please contact Chris Atkinson at the Press Office on 020 7959 7240

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