Queen's speech: Health

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Intended to devolve power to patients and healthcare professionals, a Health Bill will implement proposals for a sustainable national framework for the health service.

Health Bill

The government hopes that eliminating the top-down structural approach will make doctors and nurses accountable to patients, rather than layers of NHS management.

There will be a new focus on patient outcomes and the reduction of bureaucracy. Targets that have no clinical justification will be scrapped, empowering NHS staff to make decisions about the management of day-to-day care and services. This is intended to encourage innovation.

This follows the Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment to put front-line staff in charge of their ward or unit budgets. Furthermore, the party said it would allow staff to set up employee trusts, giving them a real sense of involvement over services.

As promised in the recent 'programme for government', the number of health quangos will be significantly reduced. The election campaign saw both parties promise to curtail the number of quangos, and it is hoped that this will cut the cost of NHS administration by a third.

The Bill will aim create an NHS led by clinicians that is more responsive to patients, and that fosters continuous improvements in quality.

The focus on outcomes will be achieved through a strengthened Care Quality Commission, and by developing Monitor into an economic regulator – to oversee aspects of access and competition in the NHS.

The Bill will introduce an independent NHS board to set commissioning guidelines and allocate resources. This was a key part of the Conservatives' pre-election plans for health, although the Liberal Democrats have in the past expressed reservations over creating what they see as another unelected quango.

There will also be an increased focus on "health inequalities" with the health secretary taking personal responsibility for leading and driving across the government's approach to improving public health.

The new public health service, led by the department of health, will provide allocations weighted towards the most disadvantaged areas through payment of a health premium.

Both the coalition government document and the Conservatives in their manifesto promised to increase health spending every year. The Liberal Democrat manifesto committed the party to helping the NHS work better with money it has, redirecting savings from supposedly wasteful areas to the frontline.

All patients will have better access to drugs and innovative treatments. The Bill will include provisions for reforming the way pharmaceutical companies are paid for NHS medicines. The programme for government also included a commitment to reform the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, and move to a system of value-based pricing.

And, an interim 'Cancer Drug Fund' will come into force in April 2011.

Commenting on the Bill, health secretary Andrew Lansley said:

"Our proposals will help cut waste, and achieve health outcomes that are amongst the best in the world."

Commission on Long-Term Care

The government has committed itself to establishing an independent commission to examine how long-term care will be funded in the future, reporting within a year.

These proposals follow a commitment by all three main parties during the election campaign to examine means to fund social care in the future.

Reflected in the coalition agreement, the plans aim to break down the barrier between health and social care; with an emphasis on preventative care.

Stakeholder Response: Harry MacMillan, Chief Executive of MEND, a social enterprise that provides community-based healthy living programmes

The focus on reducing health inequalities and improving public health in today's Queen's Speech is very welcome and shows a government that is committed to creating a fairer society.

Research has shown that children from poorer families are more likely to be obese and suffer from preventable diseases as a result. This has resulted in a polarised society where children from different socio-economic backgrounds are sadly not given the same healthy start in life, which in turn leads to more aggravated health inequalities in adult hood. We are therefore heartened to see such positive action being taken to tackle this important and pressing issue.

At a time when the recently published Marmot Review has highlighted the continuing health inequalities between socio-economic groups, and the Government has clearly stated the need to make widespread budget savings, this is a very sensible policy to pursue.

Whilst we welcome this good news, we hope the new Government will ensure that the implementation of this policy area is swift and avoids the challenges of the PCT Commissioning process that has so often slowed down the process of getting support to the people who need it most.

We hope this new focus on public health and addressing health inequalities will create a level playing field so that children across the England have the same opportunities and healthy start in life that all children deserve.

As an evidence-based organisation, MEND is pleased to see a renewed focus on payment by results. Giving families access to information and support about healthy living, through evidence-based courses such as the MEND Programme, is a proven way to improve public health and reduce health inequalities and we look forward to supporting the government in achieving their goal.

Stakeholder Response: Michelle Mitchell, Age UK Charity Director

We welcome the announcement of a commission on long-term care reform in today's Queen's Speech. Reform is urgently needed as the current care system is starved of funding, too few people receive services and the quality of care can be poor.

Although we recognise the urgency of cutting the budget deficit and the likelihood of spending cuts across public services, the new Government must guarantee protection of existing national and local care budgets in next month's emergency budget so that the crisis does not deepen any further. Future cuts would have devastating consequences on people's lives and drive up demand for emergency healthcare.

We welcome today's announcements on reducing health inequalities. As part of this, we urge the Government to look at a whole-system review of the implications of ageing for the NHS, aiming at improving public health into late old age and reconfiguring services around people in later life.

Stakeholder Response: Betty McBride, Director of Policy and Communications at the British Heart Foundation

The Government should be commended for its commitment to shaping a healthcare system which drives up standards of care, includes the voice of the patients and achieves world-class service.

We now need a bold approach from the new Government to drive down levels of heart disease to the lowest in Western Europe. A renewed strategic approach is vital in tackling the UK's biggest killer in England.

We are particularly pleased to see focus on ending inequalities.

For too long people from deprived areas have disproportionately shouldered the burden of heart disease. This has to change. Death rates from heart disease across the country must match those we see in south east England or fall even lower.

Stakeholder Response: Petra Wilton, director of policy and research, CMI

There is an urgent need to tackle the problems of poor leadership which have blighted some parts of the NHS. Greater transparency and accountability is a core part of our Manifesto for a Better Managed Britain, so we welcome this move.

However, the other side of the coin has to be a commitment to improving skills. Increased accountability must be supported by improved training for those that manage hospitals. The debate cannot simply be about how many managers the NHS employs but has to focus on whether they have the right skills. Having high-quality managers is what allows frontline staff to focus more on what they do best – in the case of the NHS, on treating patients.

We’re calling on the NHS to ensure that all management staff possess adequate professional qualifications and, where appropriate, to put a rigorous programme of professional development in place to ensure any gaps in skills at management level are addressed.