Commenting on the National Health Service Bill to be debated in Parliament tomorrow, Nuffield Trust Chief Executive Nigel Edwards said:
The last reorganisation left parts of the NHS system broken, but another one now would risk doing more harm than good.
Nigel Edwards, Nuffield Trust Chief Executive
“The last reorganisation left parts of the NHS system broken, but another one now would risk doing more harm than good. Managers and clinicians are putting enormous effort into piecing things together to create services that work at a local level. I worry that yet another round of abolishing, reforming and creating new administrative bodies would be a distraction.
“The fundamental issue facing our hospitals and GPs is the pressure created by rising patient numbers and need, combined with tight funding. We need to let the NHS get on with dealing with this as best it can. Further interventions from politicians will rarely be the answer.”
Notes to editors
- The National Health Service Bill 2015-16 is a Private Member’s Bill, which will receive its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday March 11th.
- The Bill lays the path for the abolition of NHS trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups in England, and their replacement by a system of Health Boards.
- For any further discussion, please contact Katherine Jarman on 0207 462 0555.