This is part of the Department of Health’s ongoing consultation process with third-party experts and patient groups. They will also be visiting health services already running on the some of the principles set-out in the White Paper to see how they build on the good work already been done to help drive up health outcomes to be amongst the best in the world.
The White Paper set out ambitious plans to devolve power from Whitehall to patients and professionals. As part of this process, local NHS organisations are holding a series of events around the country to discuss the White Paper proposals, consult on how to implement them, and explore how they can improve qualIty of care and offer patients more choice and control.
Today, Andrew Lansley will tour a centre at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital which is used as a fracture clinic by day and an out of hours centre at evenings and weekends, making best use of the site and ensuring services are convenient for patients. The out of hours service has also reduced inappropriate attendances at the A&E department on the same site by giving patients easy access to the care they need.
Commenting on today’s visit, Andrew Lansley said:
“The NHS is vital to everyone; a key part of our sense of security and social solidarity. The principles it was founded on are as important now as they were then: free at the point of use and available to eveyone based on need, not ablity to pay. But we believe that it can be so much better – for both patients and professionals.
“That’s why we’ve published our White Paper “Liberating the NHS”. It gives the NHS a clear framework for improvement for the next five years and beyond.
“Our ambition is to make health outcomes in England amongst the best in the world. This can only be achieved by empowering the health professionals to design the best services for patients, and by involving patients in the decisions made about their care.
“That’s why, as part of our ongoing consultation process, my ministerial team and I will visit every SHA region to listen first-hand to those who deliver and access the services that we all want to see improved. We’re also looking forward to witnessing some fantastic examples of how handing back power to clinicians can deliver huge benefits to patients and the NHS such as the revolutionary centre I’ve seen today in Basingstoke.”