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| Version 9 | Version 10 |
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| Government to press ahead with radical NHS reform plans | Government to press ahead with radical NHS reform plans |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The government has confirmed it is to push ahead with big structural changes to the NHS in England. | The government has confirmed it is to push ahead with big structural changes to the NHS in England. |
| Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the reform agenda was "on track" following a public consultation, despite concerns from health unions. | Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the reform agenda was "on track" following a public consultation, despite concerns from health unions. |
| Primary Care Trusts are to be abolished by 2013, when GPs will plan hospital care and manage budgets to pay for it. | Primary Care Trusts are to be abolished by 2013, when GPs will plan hospital care and manage budgets to pay for it. |
| Shadow health secretary John Healey said it was the wrong time to be making such big changes to the health service. | |
| He said: "This is a massive upheaval and a massive distraction and it puts a pressure on the NHS which it could live without at the moment. | He said: "This is a massive upheaval and a massive distraction and it puts a pressure on the NHS which it could live without at the moment. |
| "And when the doctors don't want it, the health experts are warning against it, patients groups are concerned, this is really the last thing that the government needs to do." | "And when the doctors don't want it, the health experts are warning against it, patients groups are concerned, this is really the last thing that the government needs to do." |
| Operating framework | Operating framework |
| The Department of Health has carried out a public consultation on reform plans set out in a White Paper, receiving some 6,000 responses. | The Department of Health has carried out a public consultation on reform plans set out in a White Paper, receiving some 6,000 responses. |
| Within the health service PCTs have seen their budgets increase by £2.6bn to £89bn, a figure that stays just above the government's own measure of inflation. | Within the health service PCTs have seen their budgets increase by £2.6bn to £89bn, a figure that stays just above the government's own measure of inflation. |
| But this isn't extra money available to the NHS as a whole - that budget is fixed. Instead the extra cash is likely to have come from a squeeze on the finances of hospitals. | But this isn't extra money available to the NHS as a whole - that budget is fixed. Instead the extra cash is likely to have come from a squeeze on the finances of hospitals. |
| Payments for treatments, known as the tariff, have been frozen, and hospitals find themselves at the sharp end of finding savings in the NHS. | Payments for treatments, known as the tariff, have been frozen, and hospitals find themselves at the sharp end of finding savings in the NHS. |
| Pressure will grow to move some types of care out of hospitals and into the community. | Pressure will grow to move some types of care out of hospitals and into the community. |
| And none of this changes the need for the health service in England to find efficiency savings of £20bn over the next few years, a task the Health Select Committee says will test the NHS to the limit. | And none of this changes the need for the health service in England to find efficiency savings of £20bn over the next few years, a task the Health Select Committee says will test the NHS to the limit. |
| It has also published its "operating framework" for the NHS, setting out priorities for the next financial year, including allocation of money to PCTs, ahead of their eventual abolition. | It has also published its "operating framework" for the NHS, setting out priorities for the next financial year, including allocation of money to PCTs, ahead of their eventual abolition. |
| Mr Lansley said £89bn would go to PCTs for frontline services. | Mr Lansley said £89bn would go to PCTs for frontline services. |
| And he told members of the Health Select Committee: "And of course in addition to that, there is a great deal of scope - and necessity - for the generation of savings through improved productivity and efficiency and quality gain inside every part of the service, which will enable us next year, I hope, not only to meet demands but to improve the service we offer." | And he told members of the Health Select Committee: "And of course in addition to that, there is a great deal of scope - and necessity - for the generation of savings through improved productivity and efficiency and quality gain inside every part of the service, which will enable us next year, I hope, not only to meet demands but to improve the service we offer." |
| PCTs are local organisations which control 80% of the NHS budget and are responsible for providing services such as hospitals, dentists and opticians. | PCTs are local organisations which control 80% of the NHS budget and are responsible for providing services such as hospitals, dentists and opticians. |
| All 151 in England are set to be scrapped, along with the next tier of organisation, the Strategic Health Authorities - 10 of which operate at a regional level. | All 151 in England are set to be scrapped, along with the next tier of organisation, the Strategic Health Authorities - 10 of which operate at a regional level. |
| In future, the bulk of the NHS budget will be allocated to GPs working in consortia across the country. | In future, the bulk of the NHS budget will be allocated to GPs working in consortia across the country. |
| Around 50 GP consortia have signed up as "pathfinders" to manage their local budgets and commission services for patients. | Around 50 GP consortia have signed up as "pathfinders" to manage their local budgets and commission services for patients. |
| Mixed-sex wards | Mixed-sex wards |
| Earlier, Mr Lansley told the BBC that, from next April, hospitals would be "held to account" if they failed to get rid of mixed-sex wards. | Earlier, Mr Lansley told the BBC that, from next April, hospitals would be "held to account" if they failed to get rid of mixed-sex wards. |
| "We are not going to pay hospitals for providing a sub-standard service," he said. | "We are not going to pay hospitals for providing a sub-standard service," he said. |
| "Patients have a right to expect dignity and privacy and if there is a breach of that, that will be published." | "Patients have a right to expect dignity and privacy and if there is a breach of that, that will be published." |
| The NHS in England faces increasing financial pressures, not least the need to make up to £20bn in efficiency savings over the next four years. | The NHS in England faces increasing financial pressures, not least the need to make up to £20bn in efficiency savings over the next four years. |
| On Tuesday, the Commons Health Select Committee said meeting that target would test the NHS to the limit. | On Tuesday, the Commons Health Select Committee said meeting that target would test the NHS to the limit. |
| The reforms do not affect the health service in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which are devolved to their national administrations. | The reforms do not affect the health service in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which are devolved to their national administrations. |
| Have you been on a mixed ward? If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC News television producer, please contact us using the form below | Have you been on a mixed ward? If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC News television producer, please contact us using the form below |