Briefing

Health and care bill: committee stage

MPs urged to support an amendment imposing checks and balances on new powers for the health secretary to intervene in changes to local health services

21 September 2021

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The government’s health and care bill seeks to support integration and collaboration across the NHS to improve care for patients. Among other reforms, it establishes statutory integrated care systems to organise care and abolishes existing clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

The bill is currently going through a Public Bill Committee, which will report back to the whole House no later than 2 November before a third reading in the Commons.

The NHS Confederation asks MPs to:

1) Support the bill, which will advance changes already underway and remove barriers to integration, helping to deliver better and more joined-up care for patients.

2) Support an amendment imposing checks and balances on proposed new powers for the Secretary of State to intervene in changes to local healthcare services, ensuring clinical advice on changes to clinical services, accountability outwards to communities not just upwards to Whitehall, and transparent decision-making