14 December 2001
Announcing health authority allocations for the 2002/03 financial year, Health Secretary Alan Milburn said that from July, patients waiting more than six months for heart surgery could choose to get their treatment at another NHS hospital, in the private sector or abroad. Further pilots are expected in the next 12 months.
British Medical Association consultants' leader Peter Hawker said: 'It can only be good news when we hear that the sickest patients will be receiving prompt care, and we want to work with the government to ensure its plans work.'
NHS Confederation acting chief executive Nigel Edwards welcomed the move but warned: 'There are practical issues to be dealt with, not least that the envisaged growth in private sector provision does not provide incentives for staff to leave the NHS.'
The cardiac initiative is part of a blitz on waiting lists, which is one of three key priorities for the NHS next year. The others are increasing the number of patients it is able to treat and improving emergency services.
Overall, the NHS has been given 20 national targets in 2002/03, including freeing 1,000 beds by reducing bed blocking. Currently, there are 50 targets.
NHS finance director Richard Douglas told last week's Healthcare Financial Management Association annual conference that health authorities will receive an average real-terms funding increase of 7.2%.
The department would ring-fence less of the new cash – 22% of the growth money in 2002/03, compared with 36% this year. He said £775m would be earmarked, including £75m for mental health, £55.5m for information management and technology and £425m to increase the service's capacity.
IM&T and mental health funding had been deliberately ring-fenced because of concerns that these funds had been raided to cover other costs in the past.
Mark Millar, who stepped down as HFMA chair last week, welcomed the investment. But he added: 'The service targets for the coming year will be challenging, and maintaining financial balance will demand rigorous control.'
PFdec2001
