NHS is at a pivotal point, says Nigel Edwards 

Speaking on the opening day of the NHS Confederation annual conference in Liverpool, he said: "There are some very difficult times ahead, hard decisions are going to be needed and there is going to be a huge amount of change. Transition to the new system looks tough."

He said this year’s conference is a chance to get to grips with the coalition Government’s programme, think about the transition to a new system, discuss further the financial challenge, and the relationship between the NHS and adult social care.  

Altered landscape

Nigel said the proposals that the coalition Government will set out in its upcoming White Paper attempt to make a “fundamental shift in how power and accountability works in the NHS. If it succeeds, this is much more radical that many have realised and will alter the landscape profoundly.”

He recognised delegates’ concerns about whether such an ambitious agenda can be delivered. Nigel asked several questions that he recognised delegates would be concerned about:

• Are enthusiastic GPs usually the ones who want to be providers rather than commissioners?
• How can we prevent the independent board from becoming huge, centralising and directive?
• Where is the patient and public voice?

With significant capacity needed to build effective practice based commissioning groups, he said he believes PCTs will “need to hold the line on the money and performance.” He talked about the challenges for providers too, alongside changes in regulation, more transparent information and tightening finances.

“To achieve all this we need to stop talking about just engaging clinicians and ask more to step up to lead,” he said. “Not necessarily as chief executives but at all levels.”

Health and social care funding

Ahead of a report due for publication on the second day of conference, he called for a debate about pooling health and social care funding for adults locally. He said: “The NHS won’t be able to make the large scale changes we need to if we can’t discharge people or prevent their admission because their social care has broken down or is not available.”

Financial Times article

Read the 24 June Financial Times article which includes quotes from Nigel's annual conference speech.

Conference media

You can keep up with the latest news and watch videos of the plenary speeches on the conference website.

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