NHS reforms

Future Forum disagrees on Milburn intervention

Sir Stephen Bubb of the NHS Future Forum has said some of Alan Milburn’s points on health service competition were “very fair” – despite Forum chairman Professor Steve Field saying Milburn was “wrong”.

They and other members of the NHS Future Forum were being asked by MPs on the Health Select Committee yesterday what they thought of Mr Milburn’s contention that the change would “weaken competition” and “protect the public sector incumbent”.

Sir Stephen, head of the voluntary sector lobby group Acevo, replied: “It’s a point that I have made to ministers on a number of occasions.

“I thought some of the messaging that has gone on since our report was produced is actually quite dangerous because the health service needs competition, because it needs innovation.

“But if the message is ‘it’s business as usual, you don’t need to use the third sector or the private sector’, that is not going to be helpful for the long-term future of the health service. So I think these are all very fair points that [Milburn] is making.”

But Professor Field said he disagreed with Mr Milburn’s assessment.

“I think the whole article for me is wrong and this is the time for politicians to get out of the NHS, give us some space to actually get on with running it,” he said.

Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]