Liberating the NHS - White Paper July 2010
Pathfinder Status - January 2011
NHS Manchester is part of the first wave of Pathfinder Consortia. NHS Manchester currently has three Practice Based commissioning Hubs - North Hub, Central Hub and South Hub. Pathfinder Status gives the hubs a good opportunity to shape the way GP consortia will work in the future and to share our knowledge and experience with the wider GP community. We will be given a national profile and will be part of a wider network of Pathfinders across the other SHA areas in England. We will receive information about national and regional events and will be invited to test national policy as it is being developed.
The PBC Hub structures are in place to deliver the objectives of the White Paper (see below) and although we will be operating as three separate hubs it is essential for some services that we work collectively together across the City of Manchester. We will be working in Shadow Format alongside the PCT from April 2011.
September 2011 - For information on Clinical Commissioning Groups, click here.
The White Paper, July 2010 - Liberating the NHS
The NHS White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS, published in July 2010, sets out the government's long-term vision for the future of the NHS.
The key principles of the changes are:
- Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities to be abolished from 2013.
- GPs to have responsibility and budgets for planning and paying for services.
- Greater emphasis on quality outcomes for patients, rather than targets which measure numbers and lists.
- Putting patients and the public first. A greater degree of independence for health care providers and reduced bureaucracy.
- Health improvement will be the responsibility of Local Authorities.
- The Department of Health will become a Public Health focussed organisation liaising with the local authorities.
- A new NHS Commissioning Board will combine some functions of the Department of Health and Strategic Health Authorities in a more streamlined way. They will oversee GP Consortia.
- Providers will be empowered to make decisions to benefit their patients and improve outcomes. They will all become, or be part of, Foundation Trusts by 2013/14
What might this mean for you?
Your GP will join a local consortium and this consortium will be responsible for planning and paying for services within your area. This will include planned hospital care such as operations, rehabilitation services, urgent and emergency care, and most community services.
As a result of these changes the Government expects PCTs to cease to exist from 2013 once the GP consortia have been successfully established. PCTs will have an important role in the coming years in supporting practices to prepare for these new arrangements.
It is also planned that Strategic Health Authorities will cease to exist and be replaced by a new National Commissioning Board which will be set up to commission GP services, pharmacy, optician and dental services and other specialised services.
GPs will also be responsible for engaging with local people to ensure that the services they are paying for meet your needs.
A new consumer body called Health Watch England will be set up which will support local HealthWatch bodies – these will replace the current Local Involvement Networks. The local HealthWatch will be responsible for promoting public engagement in health services, commenting on changes to local services, act as advocates for complaints, deliver advice services across health and social care and have the power to view and enter health care services.
Monitor’s role is being expanded to become the licensing body for all providers in terms of ensuring their finance and governance standards are of sufficiently high standard.
The Care Quality Commission will determine clinically whether an organisation’s licence is granted.
The expected timetable of events is as follows:
2011/12: GP consortia to be in place in shadow form, taking on increased delegated responsibility from PCTs.
2012/13: GP consortia take on responsibility for commissioning.
April 2013: GP consortia take on full financial responsibility. Formal dissolution of SHAs and PCTs.