Current NHS Reforms - Essay Example

?Current NHS Reforms On July Andrew Lansley, the Secretary of for Health introduced the Health White Paper d: Equity and Excellence:Liberating the NHS. This is a 57 page document that outlines the ambition of the government to achieve the best healthcare outcomes. The paper lays out several proposals for a new approach in healthcare. This approach puts the patient in charge of his healthcare, making him be in control of the decisions made about his care and health (Hart 2011). The paper also establishes a clear commitment to provide people with more information and better choice regarding their care. The White paper, in setting out the government’s long term vision for the NHS, builds on the core principles and values of the NHS which means providing a comprehensive health service that is available to all and based on level of need as opposed to patient’s ability to pay and is free at the pint at which it is used (White 2010). The following is a summary of the main features of the White Paper and a review of the reasons for its main proposals. Main Features of the White Paper Liberating the NHS The white paper attempts to change NHS structure in a bid to reduce bureaucratic tendencies that have negatively impacted on service delivery over the years. The Paper devolves commissioning responsibility to the local GPs (Department of Health 2010). These changes will give rise to new organizations that will include local General Practice Consortia that will be responsible for commissioning. The paper also gives room for the creation of a National Commissioning Board and Healthwatch for the NHS. Liberating the NHS also means breaking it free from political machinations and instead place it under the control of professionals. These measures will not only enable NHS deliver quality healthcare to all, it will also help in the elimination of barriers between social care funding and healthcare (White 2010). Putting Patients and the Public First In order for the government to achieve the best healthcare outcomes, the white paper proposes medical decision making that puts the patient first (Department of Health 2010). This means that patients should be involved fully in their personal care and clinicians should share the responsibility of making decisions with their patients. Before the white paper was introduced, there was little emphasis on the need for patient-clinician partnership and this impacted negatively on healthcare outcomes. To improve this situation, the paper sets out a framework for the full participation of patients in their treatment and care as well as their full access to information regarding their health status (Kerr and Scott 2010). This is supposed to enable the patients to make informed decisions about the care and treatment that is best for them. The concept of shared decision making between care givers and patients is one of the most important factors that leads to better healthcare outcomes. The idea of putting patients and the public first also means bridging the information gap that exists in terms of medical and healthcare knowledge. The white paper proposes an NHS information revolution that will enable people to access trustworthy and comprehensive information covering a range of healthcare issues that is relevant to them. The paper also encourages the use of real time patient feedback as a way of improving healthcare provision (Walshe, 2010). Improved access to information is bound to improve accountability as patients will be in a better position to question the kind of services they get from healthcare providers. Improving Healthcare Outcomes Improving healthcare outcomes for all is the primary goal of the NHS (Kerr and Scott 2010). This means that the NHS is obligated to deliver safe care that is effective and provides a satisfactory experience for patients. It was in the backdrop of this objective that the White paper’s proposal to improve healthcare outcomes was drafted. Improving healthcare outcomes will involve adopting measure that ensures the uncompromised well being of patients (Department of Health 2010). This means that safety and efficiency are of the essence when it comes to provision of healthcare services. More emphasis will be put on the relationships between patients and professionals and not on politicians and professionals as has been the case in the past. Autonomy, Accountability and Democratic Legitimacy The white Paper proposes to reduce the bureaucracy involved in making healthcare decisions. By freeing care givers from bureaucratic and optical control, NHS will be able to improve outcomes by securing the required innovation and quality (Department of Health 2010). The Paper proposes that power and responsibility be devolved to local consortia and GPs so as to ensure decision making is made possible to individual patients. This proposal also means that local GP practices will have the freedom to allocate their budget to healthcare needs that are most relevant tot eh people they serve. An autonomous NHS will be more effective since it be free from political interference, and will be able to act on the best interests of the patients. It will also be easier to manage NHS resources if responsibilities are devolved to local organs (Regan and Ball 2010). This proposal sets out to minimize the level of political interference in NHS matters while maintaining the necessary accountability level. Reasons for Main Proposals Liberating the NHS The proposal to liberate the NHS stems from the main objective of the NHS which is to provide quality healthcare for all. This means that every individual is entitled to quality and affordable healthcare regardless of his or her financial or social class status. Inequality in the provision of medical services has dogged the healthcare sector in the UK for a long time (Foster and Bolger, 2010). Many people are discriminated against whenever they seek social care or healthcare due to their age. The proposal to liberate the NHS was meant to address inequalities in healthcare outcomes among different people in a country where the outcomes are supposed to be equal for all. Liberating the NHS will also give more freedom to professionals and organizations to conduct their activities without fear of political interference as has been the case in the past. Due to micromanagement from state organs, NHS has not been able to deliver quality healthcare services as it intends to. This is the main reason why the White paper sets out to liberate it and enable it to provide the best possible healthcare (Klein 2010). Putting Patients and the Public First The main reason for proposing that patients and the public should come first when it comes to the provision of healthcare is so as to achieve the best healthcare outcomes that can possibly be achieved (McClimans, Dunn and Slowther, 2011). Britain’s healthcare system has been lauded as being one of the best in the world. However, it is still not effective enough to ensure that everyone gets the best healthcare, the kind that improves quality and length of life for the patient. Since healthcare outcomes should be personal to every individual that receives healthcare, the white paper aims to ensure that the experience of the individual user comes first. The NHS has also been criticized for being non-responsive to the patients that it is supposed to serve (Local Government Group 2011). The lack of a genuine patient-centered approach has meant that the individual needs of patients are not considered when being given medical treatment (Hart 2011). Many times, patients are required to fit their needs around healthcare services when the situation should be the other way round – services tailored around the needs of patients. This lack of consistency in service delivery is a major reason why the “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS” White paper was formulated. Research evidence shows that when patients are fully involved in their treatment and care, it is likely that great improvement will be seen in their health outcomes. The white paper was introduced so as to enable patients to get satisfaction with the services that they received (Ham, Dixon and Chantler 2011). The paper was also formulated in bid to boost the knowledge and understanding of patients about their health status and treatment for certain illnesses. Another significant reason for the proposal to have healthcare as being patient centered was so as to reduce healthcare costs and to improve care for long-term conditions (Appleby 2011). In strengthening the partnership between clinicians and patients, the white paper will enable NHS achieve its principle mandate of better health outcomes for all. Improving Healthcare Outcomes For quite a long time, the main objective of the NHS has been pegged down by “the overwhelming importance attached to certain top-down targets” (Department of Health 2010). Many of these targets have been found to be of no benefit to the objectives of the NHS. The targets normally block efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality rates, thus making it difficult to improve patient experience. The presence of ineffective production line approaches to healthcare is one of the reasons that prompted the formulation of the proposal to improve healthcare outcomes in the White paper (Elwyn, Laitner and Coulter 2010). The production line approach, which has been in existence for quite some time now, focuses more on the volume rather than the quality of service being provided. Yet the main objective of the NHS is pegged on the delivery of quality healthcare for all. The standards of healthcare have been slowly deteriorating over the years, this being so despite the fact that Britain has one of the best healthcare systems in the world today (Appleby 2011). Patient safety is no longer an important aspect f healthcare, and this has greatly impacted on the level and quality of treatment accorded to patients. By getting rid of the ineffective production line approach, the trade-off between efficiency and safety will be a thing of the past. The information revolution proposed in the White paper attempts to bridge the information gap that has existed for a long time among patients and members of the public regarding their health (McClimans, Dunn and Slowther, 2011). By providing a platform for knowledge enhancement among patients and clinicians alike, the White paper fosters an active responsibility for the public to take charge of their healthcare. Autonomy, Accountability and Democratic Legitimacy Top-down control has for a long time disabled quality healthcare provision in the UK. There has been too much government control, and this has affected the way in which services are provided to the people. The NHS needs more autonomy, accountability and democratic legitimacy to carry pout its mandate and fulfill its objectives (Local Government Group 2011). The White Paper was formulated to enable the NHS to offer healthcare services that are tailored around the needs of the people and not those of politicians and other aw makers. With greater autonomy, the NHS will be able to plan its budget better so that every individual who may need healthcare services can access them without facing any obstacles (Caroll and Jones 2010). Greater autonomy also means that transparency will be enhanced, making it possible for providers to account for the kinds of services they deliver and patients will be given the democratic legitimacy to demand for quality care. Conclusion The White Paper “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS” outlines the primary purpose of the NHS when it comes to improving healthcare outcomes. This reform is intended to create a National Health Service that is more responsive to the needs of patients and is able to achieve better health outcomes for all with enhanced accountability at all levels. Since it was formed, the NHS has been able to make many positive achievements in the health sector. However, there are many areas that need improvement if the NHS is to achieve its initial objectives. This was the main reason why the “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS” was formulated. The White Paper proposes to create a NHS that genuinely focuses its services on the needs of patients and the professionalism of carers. This will enable the healthcare sector to achieve quality outcomes that are also among the best in the world. To this end, the White paper proposes measures that are meant to do away with the unsafe and substandard care that have been witnessed before. The measures are also crafted to eliminate any kind of discrimination and reduce inequalities in healthcare services. The proposals in the White Paper also put emphasis on the clinician’s freedom to innovate and adopt best practices for the well being of their patients. Patients on the other hand are given the freedom to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. All in all, the White Paper empowers the NHS to be amore efficient and dynamic body than it has been for years. By recognizing the failures of the NHS to provide quality care, the White Paper outlines some fool-proof measures that should enable UK citizens and residents get the best possible healthcare they can. References Appleby, J. 2011. Data briefing: Does poor Health Justify NHS Reform? British Medical Journal. 342:doi:10.1136/bmj.d566 Caroll, S. and Jones, G. 2010. Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS – Opportunities and Challenges. The Bow Group Health Policy Committee. Department of Health. 2010. Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS. London: The Stationery Office Limited. Dixon, A. and Ham, C. 2010. Liberating the NHS. The right prescription in a cold climate ? Kings Fund Elwyn, G., Laitner S. and Coulter, A. 2010. Implementing shared decision making in the NHS. British Medical Journal, 341:c5146 Foster, D. and Bolger, G. 2010. The Quality and Productivity Challenge. Wounds UK, Vol. 6, No. 4. Pp.203-207. Ham, C. 2010. Improving the performance of the English NHS. 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