NHS Confederation: Media centre

Press release: NHS Confederation response to Sir Nigel Crisp's speech

17 Jun 2005

The NHS Confederation today welcomed Sir Nigel's address to the NHS Confederation Annual Conference. Responding to his comments on Payment by Results, Gill Morgan, Chief Executive, said today:

'I am delighted that the system of payment by results is being looked at. I warned in my speech to conference about the perverse outcomes that payment by results could bring.

'The Confederation has suggested the possibility of year of care budgets for patients with long term conditions rather than individual payments for each episode. This approach makes sense and we look forward to working with the Department on modelling.

'Given the scale of the proposed £250 million savings outlined in the labour manifesto, we are somewhat concerned that there remains little detailed understanding about how this will be achieved - particularly given the very significant scale of job losses in PCTs that this implies.

Kevin Barton, Chair of the PCT Chief Executives Forum, responded to Nigel Crisp's speech at the NHS Confederation Annual Conference today:

'Primary Care chief executives have an appetite for change. The system reforms require developments to our role and we will rise to that challenge. We welcome his commitment to an organic change process for PCTs, avoiding a one-size-fits-all top down approach.

'We welcome Nigel's words on a visionary development programme for PCTs along the lines of Foundation Trusts. We know what our strengths and weaknesses are and are already working in a range of innovative ways to become more efficient and more effective. We look forward to working very closely with the department as they develop the role of PCTs.'

Ends

Notes for editors

1. The NHS Confederation represents more than 90% of the organisations that make up the NHS throughout the UK. Its members include the majority of NHS trusts, foundation trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; NHS boards and special boards in Scotland; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.