Health and Social Care Bill - Equality and Excellence: Liberating the NHS
In this section
1. Background
2. Summary
3: Get involved
Background
On 12 July 2010, the government published a Health White Paper entitled Equality and Excellence: Liberating the NHS. It set out the vision for the future of the NHS, rooted in the goverment's core beliefs of freedom, fairness and responsibility and included implications for the future of LINks and other health-related bodies. You can download the full paper here.
Summary
HealthWatch and the future of LINks
The paper proposed the creation of HealthWatch England, a new independent consumer champion within the Care Quality Commission and Local HealthWatch to take on the role of LINks and additional roles realting to signposting and complaints advocacy. The proposed timetable for establishing Health Watch is October 2012. Go to our HealthWatch page
Summary of other proposals
- All NHS Trusts will become or be part of a Foundation Trust.
- The NHS Constitution will be upheld.
- PCT responsibilities for local health improvement will transfer to local authorities.
- There will be no bail-outs for organisation which overspend public budgets.
- The Department of Health will revise and extend quality accounts to reinforce local accountability for performance.
- The abolition of Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees, replaced by new functions for Local Authorities.
- Strengthened role of the Care Quality Commission.
- Establishing the independent NHS Commissioning Board in place of the Strategic Health Authorities.
- Establishing a statutory framework for a comprehensive system of GP consortia, paving the way for the abolition of PCTs.
The government made changes to the plans following a listening exercise in May and June 2011. Read more below.
Get involved
NHS Future Forum phase 2
The Chair of the NHS Future Forum, Professor Steve Field, has written to the Secretary of State with the Forum’s interim recommendations. The Department of Heath is due to publish the NHS Operating Framework and the Public Health Outcomes Framework soon and the Forum wants to ensure some of its recommendations are reflected in these documents. The letter is not intended to summarise the full range of views the Forum has heard or indicate what its final report will cover. The Forum’s final report will be published before the end of the year. Read the Future Forum letter
LINk and other North East community organisations contributed to NHS Future Forum phase 2 at the Engaging in Health conference on 20 October 2011. The NHS Future Forum was asked by the Department of Health to provide independent advice on four themes:
- information: how to make information improve health, care and wellbeing
- education and training: how to develop the healthcare workforce to deliver world-class healthcare
- integrated care: how to ensure the Government’s modernisation programme leads to better integration of services around people’s needs
- the public’s health: how to ensure the public’s health remains at the heart of the NHS.
Read the write up from the North East Future Forum events
Read the Future Forum presentation by Professor Jimmy Steele
Read the Future Forum phase 2 fact sheet
NHS listening exercise
The Department of Health carried out a 'listening exercise' following the government's decision to consult more on the Health and Social Care Bill.
Read LINk's response to the NHS listening exercise
Read the government response to the NHS Future Forum report
Listening exercise questions and response form
Top ten frequently asked questions
Go to the Department of Health website to find out more
Consultation on the followng areas of the White Paper closed on 14 January:
An information revolution - find out more here
Read LINks response to the consultation
Read a summary of responses to the consultation
Greater choice and control - find out more here
Read LINks response to the consultation
Read the government response extending choice of provider to 'any qualified provider'
Consultation on the following areas of the White Paper closed on 11 October:
Commissioning for patients: This paper set out proposals for putting local consortia of GP practices in charge of commissioning services to best meet the needs of local people, supported by an independent NHS Commissioning Board. Read more.
Increasing democratic legitimacy in health: It is proposed that this will be achieved through local authorities: being given a stronger role in supporting patient choice and ensuring effective local voice; taking on local public health improvement functions; and promoting more effective NHS, social care and public health commissioning arrangements. Read more.
Regulating health care providers: This paper outlines proposals on foundation trusts and the establishment of Monitor as an independent economic regulator for health and social care. It seeks views on specific consultation questions. Read more.
Transparency in outcomes: A framework for the NHS: The White Paper sets out how the Secretary of State for Health will hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account for delivering better health outcomes through a national NHS Outcomes Framework. This consultation and engagement process looks at how the Department should develop the framework. Read more.
Following consultation with LINk members we sent a LINk response to the proposals to the Department of Health.
Regional consultation event
VONNE held a consultation event on 22 September 2010, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Regional Voices. This was an opportunity for third sector organisations to speak directly to those leading on each of the four consultations above.
LINk event
North Tyneside LINk held a consultation event about the introduction of HealthWatch and the questions raised in the consultation document, Establishing HealthWatch.
Read our report of the event.