02.04.14
I’ll listen to patients every day as NHS boss – Stevens
Yesterday, Simon Stevens, the new chief executive of NHS England, said in a speech that the NHS is facing the biggest challenges in its 66-year history thanks to the squeeze on its budgets.
He also added that the NHS needs to tap into the energy of patients, carers and staff to “catalyse change”. Therefore, under his tenure as the NHS boss, he said he intends to “listen to patients” every day he is in the job.
During his visit to the north east, where he started his career in the NHS 26 years ago, Stevens met with patients and nurses at Shotley Bridge Hospital, Consett, County Durham, before moving on to a GP-led medical centre that serves 20,000 patients.
He finished his whirlwind tour by delivering a speech at the International Centre For Life in Newcastle to an audience of around 300 NHS staff, health professionals, researchers, local public service leaders and educationalists.
Stevens said: “It has been wonderful to be able to start my time as NHS England’s chief executive at the hospital where I began my NHS career, which taught me so much about healthcare. I’ve started the new role by listening to patients and I give you my absolute commitment that I intend to carry on doing so every day I am in this job.”
Stevens was widely welcomed as the right choice when he was announced as Sir David Nicholson’s successor last year. He has a gigantic challenge ahead of him.
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