The NHS Changes Proposed in the Health and Social Care Bill - Report Example

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE and National Health Service National Health Service in the United Kingdomwas established in 1948 by Aneurin Bevan, who later turned to labor politics. He was appointed as an administrator for health care by the Prime minister. During this time, people never understood the importance of the service. The government, however, was very determined to provide sufficient and free health services despite the harsh economic conditions. Surprisingly, NHS was the first to offer free services, whereby patients used to get free medical care. Besides, the patients did not require a medical insurance. Since then, there have been developments in the health services, which have led to better outcomes, NHS Choices, Live Well (2008). The paragraphs below review NHS reforms that have been proposed in the ‘Health and Social Care’ bill as well as the positive impacts of the reforms to the service and community. There have been many changes in the NHS in the recent years. In 2011, ‘‘Health and Social Care’’ Bill was introduced, whose main aim is to change the health systems. It thus has essential reforms that would have a positive impact on the health system. The main goal of the bill of ‘Health and Social Care’ is to offer priority to patients as well as encouraging and supporting all the professionals who work in the health care sectors, thus improving the outcome. Moreover, its objective is to abolish the primary health care as well as the strategic health authorities in order to come up with clinical commission groups (Webster 1988, p. 479). It basically means that money for the primary care trust will be taken to these groups. The proposed health and social bill, established in 2011, will also carry out findings on the suitability of coming up with National Health Service Commissioning Board as well as the commissioning consortia. Besides, it will consider the means of getting solutions to providing better services by developing the sector and how to enhance these services so that they are well provided to the elders. Moreover, the bill will consider the possibility of the public participation in health so that it can be able to solve the matters arising in the social care. Local authorities as well as the commissioners have formed cooperation with an aim of meeting needs in the health sector. There have also been regular reviews on the employees’ status and this has led to the removal of commands existing in some of the health organizations. In the health sector, employees’ contributions matters a lot. Therefore, removal of some harsh mandates will increase the employees’ motivation thus improving the sector. They are the ones who offer services; considering that the health sector is very sensitive. There have also been other reforms in the health care sector. For instance, the formation of the GPs Consortia, which is meant to begin its duties by 2013; incase they will be willing. The government decided to come up with this partnership, since it believed that, decisions on health care should not only be done by the organizations’ managers. Therefore, health professionals as well as the patients and the public should also contribute in making such decisions (DoH, 2011). This will reduce biasness in the sector because the managers might only be considering their own opinions. The patients will also be given an opportunity to air complains to the authorities concerned. The program will lead to the abolition of the primary health care and health authorities. Besides, the program will ensure that, in the coalition partnership, the general practices will obtain a membership since they have the responsibility of taking control of the financial system. The government’s opinion on the latter idea is that, financial decisions cannot be taken by GPs alone because they are very crucial and incase of an error; the whole organization can be negatively affected. Primary health care services will be provided by the GPs. It will be under the responsibility of an independent association known as ‘NHS commissioning Board’ (Peter & Jonathan 2011). The responsibilities will be clearly defined to ensure that every person is able to access health care services. This is a great favor to the community especially the poor. Through local authorities, consortia will state its functions as well as the means of implementing them. Consortia will carry out duties such as the supervision of the agencies that are responsible in delivering health services. This will ensure that health care services are efficient and well provided. Besides, it will make the agencies to be more careful since they will be under supervision. Such services will be given, for instance, to people in the maternity wards, disabled, mentally challenged as well as the old. The government also wants to reform the current health system so that it can be able to compete with the market system. This enables the service providers to assist the government financially. Besides, there will be abolition of the primary care trusts as well as the strategic health authorities in order to replace them with general practices groups; meant to begin the new roles by 2013. The proposed ‘Health and Social Care’ Bill states that the consortia will not be controlled by the state’s secretary. Instead, it will be controlled by health care providers who are highly qualified, so that they can be given the opportunity to compete for leadership (NHS Devon, 2011). Therefore, the leaders will work very hard in order in ensuring the success of the sector. The providers will also be given the mandate to control NHS services with the help of the government, which has formed and established new policies that lead to efficient services. The government, indeed, has been the top provider of the health care services so that they are able to meet the requirements as well as achieving their goals. Duties done by the secretaries in the public health, such as controlling NHS, will be abolished, while all the functions will be transferred to the sector of public health, which is under the responsibilities of the local authorities. Availability of funds from the government will help in improving the sector. According to Phil McCarvill (2011), the local authorities will have some responsibilities such as: developing and making health formats that will ensure that the public health is well protected as well as the health concerns in the population; designing policies aimed at protecting the population, who will also be given the opportunity to advise the NHS health officials (Secretary 2011); fully participation in developing as well as evaluating health plans. It is apparent that local authorities will promote the health sector greatly. Once the local authorities are given the roles, they will be able to develop themselves as well as enhance public health duties thus minimizing health inequalities (Antina, Jennifer & Ruth 2001). They will, therefore, get an opportunity to appoint a director who will become the leader in public health within that local authority (Gorsky 2008, p. 450). According to The Kings Fund (2011), ‘‘Health and Social Care’’ Bill has got various changes concerning the public health. Firstly, people in the communities are encouraged to lead and give opinions on their local public health. Secondly, individual’s efforts will be focused on by encouraging them to work closely with the health professionals thus producing a satisfactory output. Apart from that, people in the community get clear information and they are able to understand the concepts used in the public health sector thus encouraging them to play roles in the sector. Currently, there have been interventions that have been very successful since they affect the public positively. For instance, accountability have been improved in the public health. Also, accountability will be greatly improved after functions of the public health are transferred to the local authorities. However, according to the British Medical Association (2011), there are poor changes taking place in the accountability system. Therefore, will not help in improving the health care system. Since the last sixty years, there have never been such massive changes and unfortunately, the problems will not be solved by merging local political and general practice consortiums (Webster 1990, p. 120). On the contrary, parliament accepted the reforms on national health system as well as the proposals and recommendations that were made by the government (Stewart 460). Parliament accepted the changes since it believed that the government would give full support in improving the bill. The bill was meant to solve all the issues as well as challenges that are likely to occur in the heath system; currently and in future (Hacker 1998, p. 100)). Furthermore, the British medical association 2011 has got some briefings, which shows great concern on the bill as well as changing the NHS. The briefings also include; timetabled implementations and some of the changes that are currently practiced. Government reforms have not been fully applied since the bill has not been passed yet. This has caused a great challenge because there is lack of coherence in the policies. The problem always occurs whenever there is an implementation that involves the legislature. In conclusion, the bill has got very many new changes that are to be applied in the national health services. However; since time immemorial, they have never occurred. In contrast, the reforms were met as well as approved by the parliament. But, some individuals and organizations have refused the changes. Such organizations include the British Medical Association, which is so much against the reforms. References Antina, C., Jennifer, D. & Ruth, T. 2011. The NHS White Paper and Health and Social Care Bill. Retrieved March 6, 2012 from: http://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/our-work/projects/nhs- white-paper-and-health-and-social-care-bill. British Medical Association [BmA] 2011.Why the BMA is opposing the whole Bill. Retrieved March 8, 2012 from: http://www.bma.org.uk/images/nhsreformbriefingbmaopposesbilldec2011_tcm41- 210946.pdf. Department of health [DoH] 2011.The Functions of GP Commissioning Consortia: A Working Document. Retrieved March 8, 2012 from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/d h_125006.pdf. Gorsky, M 2008 "The British National Health Service 1948-2008: A Review of the Historiography," Social History of Medicine, vol. 21 Issue 3, pp 437-460 Hacker, J S 1998 "The Historical Logic of National Health Insurance: Structure and Sequence in the Development of British, Canadian, and U.S. Medical Policy," Studies in American Political Development, vol. 12 Issue 1, pp 57-130 NHS Live Well. 2008. The birth of the NHS. Retrieved march 6, 2012 from: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/NHS60/Pages/BirthoftheNHS.aspx. NHS Devon 2011. Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS - Current and proposed changes in the NHS. Retrieved march 6, 2012 from: http://www.devonpct.nhs.uk/Topics/Your_guide_to_NHS_changes.aspx. Phil, M. 2011. The Challenge for Public Health, Retrieved March 6, 2012 from http://www.ippr.org/images/media/files/publication/2011/08/longhaulpublichealth_Aug2 011_7898.pdf Peter, H &Jonathan, J. 2011. Ten things you need to know about the NHS reforms. Retrieved March 8, 2012 from: http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/6660888/ten-things-you- need-to-know-about-the-nhs-reforms.thtml. Secretary, L. 2011.Health and Social Care Bill Retrieved march 6, 2012 from: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmbills/132/11132.pdf. Stewart, J 2008. 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