Emphasis Should Remain On High Standard Of Care And Best Use Of Taxpayers' Money

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 22 Sep 2009 - 18:00 PDT

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David Worskett, director of NHS Partners Network responds to the speech delivered by the Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham today on the future of the NHS.

Commenting on today's speech made by Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham on the future of the NHS, David Worskett, director of the NHS Confederation's NHS Partners Network, said:

"We warmly welcome the emphasis on quality and stronger methods of incentivising and rewarding it. As a fully integrated part of the NHS system, the independent sector will be at the heart of this process.

"We also welcome the focus on patient choice in community services. Again, this will allow independent providers who are already a key part of NHS community services to make further progress in giving patients the quality and choice they want.

"It is important to realise that independent sector providers are already an integral part of the NHS system, and while support should always be given to providers who are having difficulty in achieving productivity or high standards of care, commissioners should always put the very best quality of care and the best use of taxpayers money at the top of their agenda."

Notes

NHS Partners Network is an alliance of independent - both commercial and not-for-profit healthcare providers commissioned by the NHS to provide primary & community, elective and diagnostic care to NHS patients free at the point of delivery. It was established in 2005 and became part of the NHS Confederation in June 2007.

Members of NHS Partners Network: Alliance Medical Limited, Care UK, Circle, Clinicenta Ltd, General Health Group, HarmoniCPO Ltd, InHealth, InterHealth Canada, The Horder Centre, Nuffield Health, Pfizer Health Solutions UK, Ramsay Health Care UK, Spire Healthcare, UK Specialist Hospitals Ltd and UnitedHealth UK.

The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

Source
The NHS Confederation