Consultation on New Strategic Health Authority Arrangements in London: Ensuring a Patient-Led NHS
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North Central London Strategic Health Authority North East London Strategic Health Authority North West London Strategic Health Authority South East London Strategic Health Authority South West London Strategic Health Authority Consultation on new Strategic Health Authority arrangements in London: Ensuring a patient-led NHS North Central London Strategic Health Authority North East London Strategic Health Authority North West London Strategic Health Authority South East London Strategic Health Authority South West London Strategic Health Authority Contents Foreword – Sir Nigel Crisp 3 Preface – the Chief Executives of the 4 five London Strategic Health Authorities 1 Your NHS 5 2 Achieving a patient-led NHS 5-6 3 What do we mean 7 when we talk about commissioning? 4 The wider picture 7 5 What does this mean for SHAs? 8 6 The role of the SHA 8 7 Protecting staff 9 8 Next steps 9 9 Consultation to determine 10-14 the future structure of SHAs in London 10 The Consultation process 14-15 Appendix 1 – Consultation programme 16 Appendix 2 – HR principles 17 Appendix 3 – Glossary of terms and abbreviations 18 2 Foreword In July 2005, the Department of Health published a challenging programme to improve the commissioning of services. But it is a challenge we must all meet if we are to put in place the truly patient-led, high-quality healthcare service we know the NHS can be. Spending in the NHS is rising rapidly – from £33 In brief, we need stronger Primary Care Trusts to billion in 1997/98 to over £90 billion in 2007/08. design, plan and develop better services for This increased investment, together with the hard patients, to work more closely with local work of NHS staff and the reforms we have government and to support good general practice. introduced, is transforming our hospitals by reducing The Primary Care Trust will be the custodian of the waiting times and lists, improved accident and taxpayer’s money, working to ensure that the NHS emergency services and more up-to-date buildings. gets the best value for the public purse. Although these are improvements of which we We need to enable GPs to play a full role in should be rightly proud, we know there is more that developing better services for patients. This is why needs to be done. In essence, we need to ensure the the roll-out of practice-based commissioning is so NHS provides a service fit for the 21st century. important. To deliver a patient-led NHS we need a strong This new approach to commissioning is about commissioning function that can lead giving the levers to make services more responsive transformation in the NHS. The NHS has to patients to those best placed to use them. It is recognised it cannot do this alone and therefore about enabling resources to be freed up to reinvest needs the support of local authorities and the in new services. voluntary and independent sectors. Since July, Strategic Health Authorities have been Alongside public health development, discussing with their local communities how to commissioning must place a real emphasis on reconfigure both themselves and Primary Care safety and quality. Alongside patient choice, Trusts. This document explains the suggested commissioning must ensure that services are truly changes to your communities. I encourage you to responsive to patients. Commissioners need to have your say in this process to help build drive these changes. organisations that are fit to deliver this exciting vision for patients. Sir Nigel Crisp KCB Chief Executive, Department of Health and NHS 3 Preface From the Chief Executives of the five London Strategic Health Authorities This is a time of unprecedented opportunity for We propose that there should be one Strategic London. Running up to the Olympic & Health Authority in London, as the voice of the Paralympic Games in 2012, the next six years NHS, acting as ambassador for the capital's will be characterised by the way in which the health and education services (including research city steps up to the mark. The NHS has a pivotal and development), working with partner role to play in harnessing this potential to make organisations to address the city's particular a radical difference to the health and lives of challenges. This document contains the Londoners. background to and arguments for this proposal. While London's public services share many of Our vision for London centres on the delivery of the challenges faced by other cities in England, better health and health services, better, fairer it holds a unique position in the country. More access to care and treatment for all Londoners, than just a capital, it is a world city, one of only on a health service in which the experience and a handful of others. It is the combination of views of the patient truly inform the factors which makes London different - such as commissioning and planning of services to meet the relative youth, significant mobility, high individual needs. health need and unparalleled extent and We are keen to hear your views about this diversity of its population - and the particular proposal. There are a number of ways in which ways in which these impact on the delivery of you can give your views during this consultation healthcare in the city. period and we look forward to hearing what With London's population set to grow by you think. 800,000 over the next twelve years, it is more important than ever to ensure that the NHS is well-placed to plan and deliver high-quality health services and care in the capital. The proposal for the future structure for Strategic Health Authorities in London is outlined on pages 11-14. Details of the consultation process and how to give your views are set out on pages 14-15 This includes information on how to obtain this document in a different language or on tape. All comments must be received by 22nd March 2006. 4 1 Your NHS 2 Achieving a patient-led NHS Important new changes in the way your local NHS is structured and managed are planned. Becoming a truly patient-led service is the next big Your views will be crucial. challenge for the NHS. But what does it really mean for patients and how will we make it The proposals at the heart of this consultation will happen? mean new geographical boundaries for Strategic As a starting point, the Government has captured Health Authorities (SHAs) and most Primary Care and shared this vision in its cornerstone document, Trusts (PCTs) across England. The solutions “Creating a Patient-led NHS”. It describes what proposed in this document will be unique to your patient-led services actually look like from a area and will reflect the needs, preferences and patient’s point of view. Everyone involved in a health priorities of your local communities. patient-led service makes sure they: Why is this so important? While most of us are I respect people for their knowledge and passionate about the sort of services we receive in understanding of their own clinical condition the NHS – the quality, speed and convenience of and how it impacts on their life; care – how many of us want to get tied up with organisational hierarchies and the mechanics of the I support them in using this knowledge to service? We, as patients, want to receive the care manage their long-term illnesses better; we need, at the time we need it and in a setting I provide people with the information and that is convenient to us. choices that allow them to feel in control and The answer is simple. The changes proposed here fit their care around their lives; will be the defining factor in whether the NHS can I treat people with dignity and respect, sustain the huge improvements it has already recognising them as human beings and as achieved and go on to realise its fundamental aim: individuals, not just people to be processed; to deliver a better, more responsive health service I that gives people the control and choice they have ensure people always feel valued by the health a right to expect as patients and taxpayers. and care service and are treated with respect, dignity and compassion; I understand that the best judge of an individual’s experience is the individual; I ensure that the way clinical care is booked, communicated and delivered is as trouble-free as possible for the patient and minimises the disruption to their life; and I explain what happens if things go wrong and why and agree the way forward. 5 These are the sort of benefits we can all Along with the hard work and commitment of the understand and that we want for ourselves and 1.3 million NHS staff, this investment has genuinely our families. They are the tangible end result of transformed the quality of care which people are policies already in place to introduce: receiving every day in health and social care: I patient and client choice – not just in hospitals I waiting times for hospital treatment have but in primary and social care too; dropped significantly; I better, more integrated support and care for I fewer people are dying from killers such as people with long-term illnesses; cancer and heart disease; I a wider range of services in convenient I accident and emergency services are faster and community settings; better; and people now have real choice about when and where they receive their hospital I faster, more responsive emergency and treatment. out-of-hours services; and I more support to help people improve and But this is only part of the journey.