Draft Legislative Programme - National Health Service Reform Bill

Office of the Leader of the House of Commons

National Health Service Reform Bill

The main purpose of the Bill is to: take forward those proposals arising from Lord Darzi’s ‘NHS Next Stage Review’ of the NHS in England that would require legislation to enable their implementation.

The main elements of a Bill might be:

• In relation to publishing an NHS Constitution;

• to enable and encourage Primary Care Trusts to be more responsive to their local communities;

• to give greater scope for patients to shape the care they receive.

The main benefits of a Bill could be:

• to reinforce the core purpose and values of the NHS and to introduce measures to make the NHS as effective at preventing ill health and promoting wellbeing as it is at cures;

• to strengthen public involvement in Primary Care Trusts’ commissioning arrangements;

• to allow the possibility for those patients, who wish to do so, to have greater control over the management of their care.

The public consultation on the draft legislative programme ended on 6 August 2008. Thank you to everyone who responded to the consultation.

Comments on this bill (55 comments)
Les Scaife (12:27 : 28/05/2008)

Carers and family members are very much undervalued. Peer Support will be vital as support mechanisms for individual budgets. Funding should come further down to the people who work as volunteers for people with disabilities, in order for Peer Support to survuve. To much funding goes to the large charities and eaten up in administration.

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Territorial Extent

England only

Theme

Personalisation and Improvement of Public Services

Consultation

There has already been extensive stakeholder engagement throughout England to develop the Next Stage Review in consultation with patients, clinicians and managers. Almost 100 consultation events have been held and the views of approximately 60,000 people – clinicians, patients and the wider public – have been captured through a variety of means – via e-mail or in meetings.

Once Lord Darzi’s review is published in the summer, there will be consultation as necessary on any proposals that may require legislation.