Johnson announces major review of NHS
Wed Jul 4, 2007 3:02PM BST
By Tim Castle
LONDON (Reuters) - New Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced a
major review of the National Health Service on Wednesday and
offered an olive branch to the medical profession by promising
to stop further NHS reorganisation.
He acknowledged that morale was low among doctors and nurses who
were "fed up with top-down instructions and weary of restructuring".
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The "unprecedented" review of the NHS will be conducted by
leading surgeon Ara Darzi, appointed a government minister last
week as Gordon Brown took over as prime minister.
The review will consult patients, medical staff and the public.
"This is a once in a generation opportunity to ensure that a
properly resourced NHS is clinically led, patient-centred and
locally accountable," Johnson told the House of Commons.
He said 10 years of health reforms under the Labour
administration had been an "emergency room" approach, which had
brought about substantial achievements.
"However, we must acknowledge that we have not managed to keep
the profession on board as we have steered a path through the
turbulent waters of change," Johnson said.
"I can announce today that there will be no further centrally
dictated top-down restructuring to primary care trusts and
strategic health authorities for the foreseeable future."
Labour has poured record sums of money into the NHS in England,
reaching 90 billion pounds last year.
But its insistence on central targets to reduce waiting lists
and cut overspending at hospitals, and frequent organisational
changes have exasperated NHS staff.
Last year Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt was booed by nurses
at their annual conference after saying the NHS was enjoying its
"best year ever".
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Johnson said Darzi's review would make an interim report in
October -- in time for consideration for the Treasury's own
long-term review of departmental spending -- with a full report
by July next year.
Opposition Conservative Health Spokesman Andrew Lansley called
on Johnson to remove the health service fully from political
interference by putting it under an independent board.
"The only thing the secretary of state seems to have understood
is that morale in the NHS is at rock bottom," Lansley said.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL0463727320070704
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