Press release: NHS Confederation responds to David Cameron speech

02 Jan 2008

Commenting on David Cameron's speech at Trafford General Hospital, Dr Gill Morgan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents over 95 per cent of NHS organisations, said:

"David Cameron's analysis of the future direction of travel for healthcare is right. The huge potential of new technologies must sit alongside the need for people to make choices about their own health and wellbeing. An equitable service delivering excellent care to empowered and informed patients is what we all aspire to.

"Rising to the challenge of improving as well as maintaining the health service will take commitment from everyone working in the NHS and I have no doubt that empowering staff to get on with their job will hold the key to success. We therefore welcome David Cameron's renewed commitment to less top-down targets and a focus on patient outcomes.

"The current burden of bureaucracy that the NHS faces stifles resources, time and energy. Sending the same data in a slightly different format to over 60 different agencies throughout the year cannot be a good use of NHS resources and a commitment to tackle this is also welcome."

Notes for editors

The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% 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.

Contact details

Contact Niall Smith 020 7074 3304 or 07767 770309, Ruth Kennedy 020 7074 3312 or 07884 47 3086, or Ruby Casey-Knight 020 7074 3306 or 07881 957305. For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.

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