The RCP welcomes the opportunity to respond to the consultation regarding the mandate. This will be a crucially important document setting out the future direction of the NHS.
Sir Richard Thompson said:
In our response, the RCP will be highlighting the need to embed quality improvement throughout every level of management of the NHS’s performance. We welcome the inclusion of quality aspirations in the mandate in line with the five domains of the NHS Outcomes Framework, in particular ensuring that people have a positive experience of care. We wish to see quality improvement aspirations reflected in both the NHS Commissioning Board’s response to the mandate and all clinical commissioning groups’ commissioning plans.
To improve patients’ experience of care, the RCP is embarking on a groundbreaking project, the Future Hospital Commission, which aims to examine the standards, process and organisation for treating patients in hospital. The mandate will help to shape this work and we wish to work with the NHS Commissioning Board and Department of Health to implement the findings of the Commission, expected in spring 2013.
For further information, please contact Lisa Cunningham, Public Affairs Manager, on +44 (0)20 3075 1468 / 07990 745610, or email Lisa.cunningham@rcplondon.ac.uk