The new review says the number of government targets that NHS leaders must meet should be reduced to no more than 10 to give local organizations more control over their services.
Former health secretary Patricia Hewitt, who was asked to produce a report on England’s public health governance, said a culture of over-targeting could lead to “catastrophic patient neglect”.
She recommended reducing the total number of targets set at the national level from dozens to a few; I first reported that this result was likely in December, shortly after the check was ordered.
Senior ministers have privately said they would like the NHS to operate like the English school system, so that local groups are free to set their own priorities within a looser national framework.
In her report, released on Tuesday, she said: “I recommend that ministers consider a significant reduction in priorities in the new mandate of the National Health Service – to significantly reduce the number of national targets, but not more than 10 national priorities. The rest of the goals should focus on results, not processes, she added.
Ms Hewitt, who served as Secretary of Health under Tony Blair from 2005 to 2007, warned: “A combination of too many goals, clinically unsupported performance standards, and excessive focus on achieving goals on the part of managers or the boards themselves can lead to gambling on goals, or even “catastrophic disregard for the patients themselves.”
And she predicted that “increased financial autonomy and flexibility” would improve the effectiveness of integrated care schemes, bodies created last year that bring together NHS managers and local authorities.
A health ministry spokesman said the ministers would react to the review by adding: “Integrated health systems are an important part of the government’s plan to provide more integrated and efficient health services and reduce patient wait times, which is one of the prime minister’s top priorities. “for 2023”.
Sir Julian Hartley, CEO of NHS Providers, said: “The emphasis on improvement versus top-down performance management is key and we hope the NHS will advocate at all levels for the cultural change needed to achieve this.”
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.