NHS REFORM REVIEW

NHS Reform Review

NHS Reform Review

The Government has proposed significant changes in the way the National Health Service organized in United Kingdom. This essay has made the priority of examining the planned reform to the White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS. There are numerous key changes to the NHS that have taken attention of critique and discussions. As results of change, the NHS will be streamlining with fewer layers of bureaucracy Strategic Health Authority and Primary Care Trust will be phasing out. There will be dramatically cost reduction in the management. The Government will be devolving power and responsibilities for commissioning services to GPs and practicing team work in consortia.

In July 2010, the UK's new coalition government published a White Paper laying out its plans to 'liberate' the English NHS. If fully implemented, the policies could lead to profound changes in the roles of central and local government in relation to the NHS, in the relationships between patients and healthcare professionals and nature and landscape of health service provision in England. One of the most prominent and widely discussed features of the proposed reforms is the plan to transfer responsibility for commissioning NHS services from the 151 primary care trusts (PCTs) currently performing that role to a new national Commissioning Board and a set of local, general practice (GP)- led commissioning consortia (Daly, 2005, 74).

At the time, of writing full details of the recent commissioning system is yet to be laid out. But if the legislation passed and the policy implemented as the government intends it will be operational by 2012 and PCTs abolished from April 2013. Combined with the planned transfer of public health responsibilities from the NHS to local government and the creation of a more open and diverse market of healthcare providers, these changes will alter the culture and structure of the NHS in very significant ways. And yet although the announcement of this radical reform of commissioning signals an end to the existing regime, it also evokes a distinct sense of familiarity and continuity (West, Mahon, 2003, 74). In recent times, old, aged people prefer community care over hospitals and long term care options because it is easy and convenient. A lot of trends can be observed in the European countries with respect to community care. The concept has gained extraordinary popularity and is here to stay.

An increment in the population of old aged people results in an expansion in the demand of social and community care services for people who are incapable have learning disabilities or simply are old enough to go to hospitals (Tempest, 2006, 81). New advancements, changed demographics, and increased public awareness are some of the concerns due to which health care trends differ across Europe. All healthcare facilities and services across Europe are facing challenges. There will, for example, be opportunities for nursing and residential care services to work more closely with the new GP commissioners and councils in helping to shape the adult ...