Healthy Conversations

Like a late Christmas present, this week the NHS Future Forum published its report with recommendations on four key issues within the NHS: integration, public health, information and education. Most striking was the proposal that HCPs should make ‘every contact count’ by questioning patient lifestyle choices at every opportunity.

The Government’s response has been to fully accept the report’s suggestions, as many tie in with the general programme of reforms set out in the Health and Social Care Bill. However, much like many of the proposals we saw outlined in the Bill and put into practice over the past year, other groups have been less enthusiastic. For example, Dr Clare Gerada, chair of the RCGP, has voiced concerns at the lack of evidence base for public health proposals, and that questioning patients at every opportunity may even be detrimental to the patient/physician relationship.

This is the first report of what will likely be many throughout 2012 both supporting reform and condemning it in equal measure. But what changes within the NHS can be expected in the coming year? Here are a few points that the Virgo HEALTH team will be looking out for…

First and foremost, the Health and Social Care Bill will receive Royal Assent, with most proposals likely to be still intact. Even so, there are lingering questions over Andrew Lansley’s position within the Cabinet. Will he continue to serve as Secretary of State into 2013? In all likelihood, yes – but nothing is certain.
As the Government progresses with the reforms throughout 2012, we will see the further dismantlement of current NHS structures and consolidation of new bodies such as the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups in their place. However, there will continue to be plenty of debate over the composition and size of these groups, and the role traditional commissioners from PCT and SHA backgrounds can play in them. 2012 should therefore provide more answers as to the future these managers have within the new NHS.

The DH published figures at the end of December confirming that it was on track to deliver the savings required for the year 2011/12 as set out in the Budget, recording savings of £2.5 billion in the first 6 months of the efficiency challenge. Many argue that the easy cuts have been already been made, and that the NHS will be facing an increasingly difficult challenge to try and find further savings. We will see whether the figure of £6 billion for the year is achieved in the summer, and towards the end of the year, whether it is still on track to hit its final target.

Finally, ‘no decision about me, without me’ as an underpinning principle behind the reforms will begin to come to the fore. Can we expect to see patients taking more interest in their care, as more choice is provided, and information becomes available? Andrew Lansley has stated this week that ‘blacklisting’ of NHS drugs needs to be ended to stop the current ‘postcode lottery’, but also to avoid the threat of legal action from patients who know their rights.

We are sure you will be following developments in the NHS like us, during a year which will undoubtedly be crucial for the success of the reforms and economic future of the NHS.