06 July 2007
New health minister Professor Sir Ara Darzi is to pilot a 'once in a generation review' of the National Health Service.
Darzi, a practising surgeon brought into government by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, is being asked to consult patients and staff in an effort to improve morale.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson told the Commons on July 4 that there had been a huge amount of change in the NHS, but he was now looking to 'forge a new partnership with the profession'. He promised there would be no more structural change.
Darzi's report, due to be completed next year after an interim assessment in the autumn to inform the Comprehensive Spending Review, is to examine key areas of NHS operation.
His aim is to put clinical decisions at the heart of NHS service delivery, improving patient care, particularly for those with long-term and
life-threatening conditions, and establishing a vision for the next decade based 'less on central direction and more on patient control', according to Johnson.
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