Health Systems: Research & Counselling

Cameron makes radical changes to NHS management

Around 80 billion pounds will be given to family GPS in a new government plan that will aim to improve relationships between patients and those working locum jobs for doctors. Many thousands of managerial jobs in the UK health service are likely to be lost as a result of these plans. The government currently fund primary care trusts to pay for their patients in their area but under new plans GPS will be responsible for paying the hospital directly when referring their patients. The coalition believes that this change will make hospitals less bureaucratic and provide patients and doctors with greater control over their treatment. This will also include the out-of-hours service, which could involve family doctors having to offer a 24-hour service again.

This decision is a victory for the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, who was supported by David Cameron when he fought to allow patients to give cash directly to their doctors during a row with the Treasury. However, the Chancellor George Osborne was worried about placing such a large amount of money (estimated at around £70 billion) in the responsibility of GPs again. Mr Lansley reassured Mr Osborne that money would not be wasted during this critical time, when enormous spending cuts mean institutions such as the NHS become increasingly vulnerable.

Mr Lansley highlighted the commitment of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition to strengthen the authority of British GPs, whilst analysts regard this decision as the most radical series of changes that the NHS has witnessed since its inception in 1948. Trade unions in the public sector are likely to protest these plans, which will inevitable involve large numbers of job losses. Mr Lansley is hopeful that such plans will be put into practise by April 2011, although some NHS managers regard this as overly-ambitious. Eventually, primary care trusts will be scrapped as power is passed onto GPS.