Press release: NHS leaders say they need to be more accountable to the public

05 Dec 2006

On the day that the NHS Confederation launches its new Primary Care Trust Network, the leaders of the new organisations are sending a message that they need to become more accountable to patients and the public in their local communities.

In a recent poll chief executives and chairs of the 152 new primary care trusts were asked how strongly they agreed with the statement: PCTs accountability to their local population needs to be strengthened. Of the 134 respondents, 81 per cent agreed or strongly agreed.

• Views on how accountability should be strengthened were:
• Nearly half (48.2 per cent) of the chairs and chief executives responding felt that foundation trusts style membership was a possible way to strengthen accountability to local patients and the public
• Just under 30 per cent (29.6 per cent) of respondents said that strengthening the role of overview and scrutiny committees would also help achieve stronger accountability to the local population
• Around 10 per cent (11.9%) said electing members of the public onto PCTs boards
• And, 10 per cent (10.4 per cent) said adopting local councillors onto PCT boards was another option that could work in the future
   
  David Stout, the director of the new PCT Network, said:

"These are challenging times for PCTs.  But at the same time there is a mood of optimism within the new organisations.  Nearly nine out of ten PCTs say they are confident that they are in a good position to transform services and improve health in line with the reform agenda, even if growth in health spending slows".

Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents over 90 per cent of NHS organisations, said:

"The government was right to focus the reform agenda on the acute sector over recent years and we have seen real successes in reducing waiting times and improving patient care. But we now need a fundamentally different approach to the reform agenda that tackles wider issues."

The NHS Confederation PCT Network is launched today (5 December).   PCT chief executives and chairs will be joined by the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Health and the NHS chief executive in looking at the challenges and priorities ahead.

The PCT Network will help its members improve health and patient care by influencing policy and the public debate, supporting learning within the new organisations and developing solutions with the wider NHS.

Notes for editors

1. PCT chief executives and chairs were asked: PCTs accountability to their local population needs to

• be strengthened.
• Agree  60%
• Strongly agree  21.5%
• Disagree 16.3%
• Strongly disagree  1.5%
• Don't know  0.7%

2. How should accountability with your local population be strengthened?

• Foundation trust-style membership 48.2%
• Strengthening OSC committees  29.6%
• Adopting local councillors onto PCT boards 10.4%
• Electing members of the public onto PCT boards 11.9%

3. Even if growth in health spending slows as expected post-2008, are you confident that your PCT is in a good position to transform services and improve health in line with the reform agenda.

• Agree 73.3%
• Strongly agree 14.8%
• Disagree 8.2%
• Don't know 3.7%
• Agree and strongly agree  88.1%
• Disagree  8.2%

The NHS Confederation represents more than 90% 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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Media Relations Manager Joanna Clason on 020 7074 3306 or 07798 571078 or Senior Media Officer Amy Darlington on 020 7074 3304 or 07767 770309.

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