23.03.11
Clegg vs Lansley over NHS reforms
Deputy PM Nick Clegg is expected to ‘negotiate’ with the Health Secretary to amend the NHS reforms.
The Liberal Democrat leader will ‘front up’ his party’s argument with Andrew Lansley in an effort to seek changes to the Health and Social Care Bill, following the rebellion by party activists which saw it vote against the NHS policy in its current form at the party’s recent conference.
Clegg is understood to want more oversight of the commissioning consortia, measures to minimise the financial risk they could find themselves coping with, and additional limits on the entry of private providers into NHS healthcare. He is unlikely to achieve everything demanded by his party, which also demanded provisions including a rule that half of each commissioning board be made up of local councillors sitting as non-executive directors.
The Guardian newspaper said that although Lansley has not commented on Clegg’s position, he has said there will be “opportunities to clarify, if not improve, the bill as it goes through parliament”.
He also said that the budget controlled by the clinician-led consortia is likely to total £60bn, rather than the £80bn that has been widely reported since the reforms were first trailed. He said parts of the health budget were being directed to public health and regional specialised services, not channelled through the consortia, the newspaper reported.
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]