17.01.11
NHS reforms gain more backers – and more detractors
GP groups across half of England have signed up to the Government’s health service reforms – despite mounting opposition from the medical unions and colleges.
The BMA, Royal College of Nursing and six health unions have expressed concern at the scale and pace of the changes, while the NHS Confederation is reported to have concerns at how reform is being pursued, especially how managers are being treated.
But health secretary Andrew Lansley said the increasing number of GP groups, trusts and voluntary groups “getting together” to deliver NHS care showed that not everything in the health service had to be “top-down”.
There are now 140 GP groups which have agreed to take on commissioning powers, ahead of the roll-out across England in two years’ time.
Prime Minister David Cameron said today: “I think if we just carried on as we are, because there is so little incentive in the NHS to actually improve the health of the nation, I think we would face a very big crunch in two or three years' time.”
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