Member News
By Philippa Silverman - 27th May 2011
A group of 40 charities is warning that the government must make major changes to its planned reform of the NHS.
Organisations including Mencap, the National Autistic Society, the Patients Association, the British Red Cross, the RNIB, Scope and United Response are calling on the government to ensure that patients will be properly consulted.
In a joint statement, they argue the current proposals fail to live up to the aspirations set out in the government white paper.
The charities said most patients are confused about the changes and what it means to them and how it will affect their quality of treatment and care.
They set out six "much needed changes" to put patients at the heart of the NHS, improve health outcomes for all and to empower clinicians.
It says that in order for the government to fulfil its pledge to place patients at the heart of the NHS, ministers must ensure that the planned GP consortia make sure patient needs come first.
They call for changes to improve integration across health and social care by strengthening the role of health and wellbeing boards and the NHS Commissioning Board.
And the statement says the pause in the Bill is welcomed, but the Department of Health needs to "use this time to substantially improve the Health and Social Care Bill".
Mencap's chief executive, Mark Goldring, said it was vital to ensure that the health system worked for the most vulnerable patients.
"It is essential that the government keeps patients at the heart of NHS reforms and ensure that the most vulnerable in our society, such as those with a learning disability, have access to the good quality healthcare they need."
Mark Lever, chief executive of the National Autistic Society called on the government to provide greater clarity about what the future of the NHS will mean for patients.
"We need a clearer indication from the Department of Health about exactly what the future will look like for NHS services," he said.
Katherine Murphy of the Patients Association, said: "Patients think the changes are happening too fast and do not feel they have been consulted.
"Will the changes mean shorter appointment times with GPs as they have to focus on balancing the books? The pause in the Bill is welcomed, but only if the government really listens to patients and makes the much needed changes."
In response, a Department of Health spokesperson said: "We agree that patients need to be at the heart of modernising the NHS – this has always been the central aim of our plans. But we recognise that there have been some concerns, and feedback from organisations such as these is invaluable to make sure we get this right.
"The health secretary has been clear that there will be substantive changes to the Bill if they deliver improvements for patients. We await the recommendations from the NHS Future Forum, expected next month."
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