NHS leaders welcome fewer targets proposal to minimise bureaucratic burden

Responding to NHS England’s consultation on the draft NHS performance and assessment framework Sarah Walter, director of the NHS Confederation’s Integrated Care Systems Network, said: 

“This framework sets out a series of proposals to try to address the significant operational and fiscal challenges facing the health service. Our members will welcome fewer targets, something which we have been calling for consistently to minimise the bureaucratic burden when applying the performance regime.

“But it is vital that we strike the right balance between recovery and reform – dropping targets could result in NHS performance being assessed purely on ‘here and now’ metrics such as A&E waiting times or waiting lists. This could leave out  measures that would judge how successfully the NHS is implementing the reforms necessary to put it on a sustainable long-term footing.

“It is also important we make sure the short timescale on consulting and finalising this does not create unintended consequences for staff and patients.

“In addition, we have concerns about the proposals to hold ICBs accountable for all the organisations in their system while providers are not held to account for the part they have to play in system performance. This calls into question the ability of systems to achieve the three shifts.”