NHS Bill 'right direction of travel' but concerns remain

Commenting on the publication of the Health and Social Care Bill, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “Healthcare leaders are broadly supportive of the NHS Bill and there is much consensus that this is the right direction of travel, albeit one with a tight timetable and with lots to put in place over the next nine months.

“Our members are concerned, however, that some of the proposals are not what the health service wants to see, in particular those that could lead to significant centralised and ministerial involvement in everyday matters that affect the NHS. In their current form, these plans also bring with them the risk that arm’s-length bodies, including NHS England and NHS Improvement, could be split up or abolished without any real scrutiny.

“While the health service will be relieved their hard work in planning for these reforms has not gone to waste, they also now desperately need real clarity from the Government about what their funding will be from October onwards.”