Partnership is Key to delivering Lord
Darzi's NHS Vision
Partnership is key to delivering Lord Darzi’s NHS vision Lord Darzi’s Final
Report: “High Quality Care for All” puts quality at the heart of the NHS. His vision
can
only be achieved on the required scale through new forms of partnership between
public, private and third sectors.
For healthcare providers, there are some exciting incentives to encourage new service
models:
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As the system shifts its focus to disease prevention, Primary Care Trusts will be
required to commission well-being and prevention services ‘on an industrial scale’
- fertile territory for new partnerships with the private and voluntary sectors. |
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An increasing role is outlined for GPs, pharmacies and other local providers in
tackling the key challenges of obesity, alcohol, smoking, drugs, sexual and mental
health through convenient community-based services. |
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There is a pledge to reinvigorate practice-based commissioning and give greater
freedoms and support to high–performing GP practices to develop new services for
patients, working with primary and community clinicians. Competition based on quality
will, however, lead to the phasing out of the minimum income guarantee. |
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Integrated Care Organisations will be piloted, bringing together health and social
care professionals from community services, hospitals, local authorities and third
sector. Proposals are to be invited from the market shortly. |
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More support is promised for clinicians who wish to “spin out” of the NHS to set
up independent organisations. Front-line staff will have a new “right to request”
to set up a social enterprise to deliver services. A key stumbling block historically
has been the ability of the new employer to provide continuing access to NHS pension
rights. Now there is a pledge to allow staff to continue to participate as long
as they are providing NHS-funded care. |
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There is new emphasis on innovation and fostering an enterprise culture. Strategic
Heath Authorities will be under a statutory duty to promote innovation and new regional
innovation investment funds will be launched to invest on a commercial basis in
good ideas. There will be a pilot programme of “health innovation and education
clusters” to stimulate partnership working between clinicians, universities and
business. |
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Financially, funding formulas and contract payments will increasingly be linked
to quality outcomes. All providers, NHS, private and third sector will be required
from April 2010 to publish quality accounts explaining how they have made a difference.
The Department commits itself to signpost tariff reviews in advance to enable providers
to plan for the long term. |
A system focused on a relentless drive to quality will impose new burdens, however.
For example there will be new emphasis on data capture for publication to inform
patient choice. The new NHS constitution will enshrine patients’ rights and expectations
and these constitutional rights will feature in all contracts and dealings with
patients, whoever the provider. Rights such as the continuing access to medical
records, the right to demand drugs and treatments approved by NICE, and to receive
treatments within agreed waiting times are likely to involve providers in additional
compliance costs.
The challenges presented by Lord Darzi are significant but far greater is the sense
of real opportunity for innovation and initiative to triumph.
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For More Information Contact:
Mark Johnson
The Projects Partnership Limited
53 Great Suffolk Street
London SE1 ODB
t 020 7620 0888
f 020 7620 0778
e info@tpplaw.co.uk
Email:
Mark
For a full printable version
of this article please
click here
We look at some of the more significant elements and proposed initiaitives of the
report
To view the full Darzi Report
click here
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