Editor's Comment

Time to look forwards

As senior managers and leaders from around the healthcare sector get ready to meet up from June 20-22 for the NHS Confederation annual conference and exhibition, it’s interesting to imagine what the conference will look like in future years.

In primary care and commissioning terms, of course, many of the bodies confederated into the Confederation are gradually ceasing to exist, with staff having left, transferred, or considering their future working for a CCG or CSO.

Clearly there has been some concern from CCGs that the ‘liberation’ and ‘freedom’ they have always been promised has been gradually shrunk in scope, as more expectations and obligations about the way they will deliver their duties have been piled on. Among these is the necessity of ‘receiving’ staff from the disappearing NHS organisations.

There are sound practical, financial and even moral reasons for this, of course: though it’s hardly gone unnoticed that for all the managerand administrator-bashing the Government incorporates in its NHS reform rhetoric, it knows privately it needs the expertise of many of these same people. It also helps not to be stuck with terrifying redundancy payouts, of course.

NHS Alliance chief executive Rick Stern tells NHE this edition that, of course, the mission is not over: the implementation of clinical commissioning on the ground is what ultimately matters, not getting a law passed.

The whole of England is now covered by CCGs, which are at varying stages in the authorisation process (another sign of the power maintained by the centre over the local, some would have it, though it’s hard to see how else it might have been done).

That organisation, though, also wants to ensure it doesn’t focus all of its energy on its traditional goal: Stern makes clear that it has plenty to say in the area of primary care p r o v i s i o n , and its next conference is on the theme of better integration of health and care services.

But this next NHS Confed will be one of the most interesting for years: m a n y h e a l t h c a r e professionals r e m a i n b i t t e r l y opposed to what the Government has done, and others have grievances around pay, pensions and the £20bn savings agenda. But most at the conference will be in the mood for looking ahead, now the legislation is done with, at the future shape of the NHS, and making sure it works as well as possible for patients.

We look forward to seeing you in Manchester for the conference and exhibition: the National Health Executive team will be on stand B6.

Adam Hewitt - Editor

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