Mid term review Jan 2013 Coalition and NHS

NHS

Original coalition agreement pledges:

• Increase health spending above inflation every year
• "Stop the top-down reorganisations of the NHS"
• Axe a number of health quangos
• Cut administration costs by a third
• GPs to gain role in health service commissioning
• Directly elected members of primary care trust boards
• Patients to be able to choose GP and rate services
• Dementia research to be prioritised

What coalition says it's achieved:

• Health budget increased in real terms in 2011-12, and set to increase every subsequent year
• Transition of commissioning of health services to GP-led groups under way
• Pilot schemes set up in which patients can choose GPS
• Reduced early preventable death from cancer

Where it accepts it has missed targets:

• The audit is silent on whether there was a real-terms increase in 2010-11
• Since primary care trusts were swiftly abolished, their boards never contained a directly elected element
• Plans to "develop a 24/7 urgent care service in every area of England, including GP out-of-hours services" appear to have been dropped

Labour's verdict on coalition so far:

• Changes amount to "biggest top-down reorganisation of the NHS in its history"
• Reforms will cost £3bn and increase bureaucracy
• NHS spending cut "two years running" and £1bn spent on redundancies
• 7,000 nursing jobs cut since 2010
• Number of patients facing long waits in A&E has doubled

Coalition's mid-term 'to do' list:

• Increase the health budget in real terms
• Abolish strategic health authorities and primary care trusts from April 2013
• Establish health and well-being boards
• Invest up to £300m over five years in specialised housing for people in need of care
• Introduce a new bowel screening programme
• Regularly check that doctors are fit to carry out their duties

BBC health correspondent Nick Triggle says: In many ways the government's handling of the NHS is a case study in how not to make policy. In opposition the Tories promised no more reorganisation, only to announce one of the biggest overhauls of the health service in its history within months of gaining power. That would have probably been fine if the changes had been wanted by those working in the NHS. But they weren't. In the end the reforms were pushed through and now the focus of NHS staff is back on the day job - treating patients and trying to keep the NHS afloat in the tough economic climate.

from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20969488