The Health and Social Care Bill proposes fundamental changes to our health service. The Royal College of Physicians will analyse the Bill in detail, and continue to work to ensure the development of a system that delivers quality care for all.
It is right that the health service strives to deliver efficient, innovative and integrated services, focused on the best outcomes for patients and communities. The Royal College of Physicians supports the shift towards a system that puts clinicians and patients in the driving seat, and promotes collaboration between professions and across primary, secondary and social care.
Sir Richard Thompson, President of the Royal College of Physicians said:
We, like other medical Royal Colleges and the Health Committee, believe that effective commissioning must involve - not just GPs - but the entire clinical community. Although we welcome the duty for Consortia to seek appropriate advice when discharging their functions, we do not believe this goes far enough. In order to ensure patients across the country have access to the services they need and the standards they deserve, we will continue to press for mandated involvement of secondary care specialists in commissioning decisions and structures.
The scale and pace of change – and the challenge of unprecedented efficiency savings - should not be underestimated. Neither should the risks if we get this wrong. It is vital that reforms are based on solid evidence and open, honest dialogue with those delivering services on the frontline. The RCP remains concerned that the government’s proposals do not fully resolve the issues associated with price competition. There is strong evidence that competition based on price harms, rather than enhances, quality. We are also anxious to ensure that the system builds in effective safeguards to protect against service fragmentation. The fragmentation of services would have detrimental impacts on the very areas the reforms seek to improve: the quality of services, education and training, patient choice, efficiency and equity.
We look forward to constructive dialogue with government, the Department of Health and partners to address these issues as the Bill progresses.