UK. Report on NHS modernisation

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance

ISSN: 0952-6862

Article publication date: 1 July 2003

196

Keywords

Citation

(2003), "UK. Report on NHS modernisation", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 16 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2003.06216dab.002

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited


UK. Report on NHS modernisation

UK

Report on NHS modernisation

Keywords: NHS, Resources, Modernization

In March, members of the NHS Modernisation Board presented the findings of their annual report into progress towards delivering The NHS Plan to the Prime Minister and Health Secretary, Alan Milburn. The latest NHS Modernisation Board Annual Report on the NHS has found that real progress on improving services is being made, but more work is still needed. This report covers the Board's second year – October 2001 to September 2002. The report says that there have been significant improvements since the publication of The NHS Plan two years ago, and the ten year plan is on schedule, but that sustained investment is still required to complete it. The resources going into the NHS are paying dividends for patients but there is still a long way to go and capacity problems remain. The building blocks are there and the culture of the NHS is changing. The Board says that with extra resources about to come on stream they feel confident that fast and effective progress can be made. The report says: "The patient centred NHS, once a distant ambition, is now drawing visibly closer."

Among improvements highlighted by the report:

  • 84 per cent of GP practices now offer a GP appointment within 48 hours;

  • 650 GPs with special interests were employed by October 2002;

  • 600,000 procedures previously carried out in hospitals were carried out by primary care staff;

  • the target of recruiting an extra 20,000 extra nurses by 2005 was exceeded two years early; and

  • 96 per cent of suspected cancer patients were seen within two weeks of referral.

The NHS Modernisation Board was set up to advise the Secretary of State for Health and his ministerial team on implementing The NHS Plan. It is a group of senior health and social care professionals, frontline staff, managers and patient representatives who meet with the Secretary of State every three months to discuss progress and guide priorities. It is the first time an independent group representing the many different interests involved in health and social services has had an influence over health policy and its implementation. The Board also provides a valuable channel for the thoughts and opinions of patients and staff on the ground.

Further information: The NHS Modernisation Board Report is available at: www.doh.gov.uk/modernisationboardreport2003

Related articles