The Department of Health published its autumn 2009 performance report, showing progress in achieving its public service agreement targets.
Source: Autumn Performance Report 2009, Cm 7776, Department of Health/TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Dec
The government published a 5-year strategy for the National Health Service in England. It said that there was a need to accelerate the pace of reform and make the system more productive. Hospital income would increasingly be linked to patient satisfaction. There would be more choice for patients – through abolishing family doctor practice boundaries, and improving access to a family doctor. There would be more freedom for the best hospitals to expand their services out into the community across a wider area including family doctor centres. Personal health budgets would give patients more control over their care.
Source: NHS 2010-2015: From good to great – preventative, people-centred, productive, Cm 7775, Department of Health/TSO
Links: Strategy | Hansard | DH press release | Kings Fund press release | NHS Confederation press release | NHS Employers press release | BMA press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Community Care report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Dec
A manifesto called on the political parties to acknowledge the value of the National Health Service, which provided better value for money than any comparable healthcare system in the world, and which would face increasing demands because of the economic downturn. Efficiency savings could be delivered if the NHS were restored as a publicly provided service, and if cuts were focused on expensive market-based policies – such as the overuse of private management consultants, the private finance initiative, and independent sector treatment centres.
Source: Standing up for Doctors, Standing up for Health: The BMA manifesto, British Medical Association
Links: Manifesto | BMA press release | Pulse report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2009-Dec
A think-tank report examined the application of markets in healthcare. Although never to be placed before the central importance of providing universal coverage, markets delivered significant benefits in terms of efficiency, innovation, and equity.
Source: James Gubb and Oliver Meller-Herbert, Markets in Health Care: The theory behind the policy, Civitas
Links: Report | Civitas press release | Pulse report
Date: 2009-Dec
A report said that the National Health Service could save over £20 billion by 2014 if clinicians and patients were given the right to design healthcare services, and through more effective approaches to public behaviour change. However, these approaches were difficult to develop within the existing health service: there was a need to move away from centrally driven directives, and to place the challenge and responsibility in the hands of the public.
Source: Laura Bunt and Michael Harris, The Human Factor: How transforming healthcare to involve the public can save money and save lives, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (020 7438 2500)
Links: Report | NESTA press release
Date: 2009-Nov
The opposition Conservative Party published its plans for the future of the National Health Service. It said that it would rename the Department of Health as the 'Department of Public Health' – because improving public health would be one of the department's key priorities. The overall health budget would be ring-fenced: but the £4.5 billion annual bill for administering the NHS would be cut by one-third over the following four years.
Source: Renewal: Plan for a better NHS, Conservative Party (020 7222 9000)
Links: Plan | Conservative Party press release | Speech | Patients Association press release | NHS Employers press release | Pulse report | Guardian report | People Management report
Date: 2009-Nov
The Health Act 2009 was given Royal assent. The Act was designed to give patients more choice and control over the care they received, and to improve the quality of health services. It placed a legal duty on the National Health Service and its providers to have regard to the NHS Constitution, which would safeguard the principles and values of the NHS and set out the rights and responsibilities of patients and staff. The Bill included proposals to pilot direct payments to give patients greater choice and control over their healthcare.
Source: Health Act 2009, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Act | Explanatory notes | DH press release | NHS Employers press release
Date: 2009-Nov
A think-tank report examined the long-term changes needed to enable the National Health Service to meet the challenges of improving public health.
Source: Neil Churchill (ed.), Health Futures, Smith Institute (020 7592 3618)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Sep
A think-tank report said that National Health Service 'businesses' remained enmeshed in state bureaucracy, leaving them inclined to serve the interests of central government rather than what patients wanted and needed. Merely creating more autonomous organizations and giving them commercial incentives was only part of the solution: a more profound change in culture was needed.
Source: Peter Davies and James Gubb, Putting Patients Last: How the NHS keeps the ten commandments of business failure, Civitas (020 7401 5470)
Links: Summary | Civitas press release
Date: 2009-Aug
An article reported a qualitative survey of 48 members of the general public, which was used to examine perceptions of and responses to the National Health Service reforms, and to show how public discourse in this area was at variance with the instrumentalist and individualist assumptions of policy-makers. The result of this variance was that the reform programme damaged the legitimacy of the service, and that those responsible for the new policies failed to recognize that the 'individual instrumental agenda' was eroding public trust.
Source: Peter Taylor-Gooby and Andrew Wallace, 'Public values and public trust: responses to welfare state reform in the UK', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 38 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jul
The Department of Health published its annual report for 2008-09, showing progress against public service agreement targets. It said that sustained investment in the National Health Service had produced a service that was truly responsive and of high quality, with patient satisfaction higher than ever before.
Source: Departmental Report 2009, Cm 7593, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jun
The government published a plan for Britain's future, describing it as 'a radical vision for a fairer, stronger and more prosperous society'. Proposals included giving patients enforceable entitlements to the highest standards of healthcare, including hospital treatment within 18 weeks, access to a cancer specialist within 2 weeks and free health checks under the National Health Service for people aged 40-74. The new entitlements would replace centrally determined performance targets.
Source: Building Britain's Future, Cm 7654, Prime Minister's Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Summary | Hansard | Cabinet Office press release | RCN press release | NHS Confederation press release | Conservative Party press release | Guardian report | Local Government Chronicle report | Pulse report
Date: 2009-Jun
The Health Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed togive patients more choice and control over the care they received, and to improve the quality of health services. It placed a legal duty on the National Health Service and its providers to have regard to the NHS Constitution, which would safeguard the principles and values of the NHS, and set out the rights and responsibilities of patients and staff. The Bill included proposals to pilot direct payments to give patients greater choice and control over their healthcare.
Source: Health Bill [HL], Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate June 2009, columns 540-618, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | Kings Fund briefing | HOC research brief (1) | HOC research brief (2) | Community Care report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Jun
A paper examined the issues involved in achieving closer integration of health and social care.
Source: Chris Ham, Only Connect: Policy options for integrating health and social care, Nuffield Trust (020 631 8450)
Links: Paper
Date: 2009-Apr
The opposition Conservative Party published a plan under which National Health Service patients would have the right to choose an individual named consultant for an operation or course of hospital treatment.
Source: An NHS Information Revolution to Save Lives, Conservative Party (020 7222 9000)
Links: Plan | Conservative Party press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Apr
A new book provided a sociological analysis of health policy. It highlighted new policy themes such as: evidence-based policy and practice; an increasing focus on a primary care-led health service; a growing recognition of the need to address inequalities through public health policies; and a focus on the views and the voice of the user and the public.
Source: Jonathan Gabe and Michael Calnan (eds.), The New Sociology of the Health Service, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Mar
The Health Bill was published. The Bill set out proposals designed to give patients more choice and control over the care they received, and to improve the quality of health services. It placed a legal duty on the National Health Service and its providers to have regard to the NHS Constitution, which would safeguard the principles and values of the NHS, and set out the rights and responsibilities of patients and staff. The Bill included proposals to pilot direct payments to give patients greater choice and control over their healthcare.
Source: Health Bill, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Impact assessments | DH press release | Kings Fund press release | ASH press release | RPSGB press release | UNISON press release | Age Concern/Help the Aged press release | EDCM press release | BBC report | Pulse report | Guardian report | Community Care report | FT report | People Management report
Date: 2009-Jan
The government published (following consultation) a constitution for the National Health Service in England, setting out patients' rights to care and their responsibilities. Patients had the right to access services predominantly free of charge, free of discrimination, and delivered in a professional manner, in a clean environment. In return patients were expected to treat staff with respect, register with a family doctor, keep appointments, take part in vaccination programmes, and make a contribution to their own, and their family's, good health. The government also published a statement of NHS accountability, providing a summary of the structure and functions of the NHS.
Source: The NHS Constitution for England, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Constitution | Statement of accountability | Impact assessment | Hansard | DH press release | Downing Street press release | Kings Fund press release | Patients Association press release | NHS Confederation press release | IHM press release | BMA press release | Help the Aged/Age Concern press release | PRTC press release | Conservative Party press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Jan
