Press release: NHS Confederation respond to Health Select Committee report on ISTCs
25 Jul 2006
Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents over 90 per cent of NHS organisations and also has over 50 independent providers as members, said:
"It is important to distinguish between the implementation of the policy of independent sector treatment centres and the performance of the ISTCs themselves. Whilst the Health Select Committee report recognises that there have been some problems in the implementation of the ISTC policy, this should not detract from the report's finding that ISTCs are delivering free care to NHS patients to a standard comparable with the rest of the NHS.
"It is pleasing that the committee has found that many of the anxieties about the introduction of independent sector treatment centres - particularly around the quality of care provided - have not been borne out.
"Whilst the select committee recognises that there is limited data on whether the ISTC policy has increased capacity within the NHS, it may be that waiting list targets and the prospect of ISTCs have also encouraged NHS providers to become more productive and create additional capacity themselves. As the committee chair acknowledges, it is clear that the separation of operations from emergency services, through the ISTC programme, reduces disruption to elective procedures for patients.
"There are clear lessons from the report about the planning of major policies and initiatives by government departments. Many of the difficulties of the ISTC programme could have been avoided if proper independent advice and evaluation of the proposed programme had been taken at the planning stage. We need to make sure that future large-scale projects of this kind have clear objectives and are thoroughly evaluated for their benefits to patients and the NHS as a whole."
ENDS
Notes for editors
1. The NHS Confederation represents more than 90 per cent of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
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