16 May 2008
The prime minister has set out 'radical' plans to 'put more power in the hands of patients' treated by the NHS, as a Healthcare Commission hospital patient survey revealed wide variations in patient satisfaction.
Gordon Brown told MPs on May 14 that the celebration of 60 years of the NHS was the right time for an NHS Reform Bill, as he set out his draft legislative programme for the next parliamentary session.
'We will establish a constitution of the NHS that sets out what patients can expect to get from the health service including entitlements to minimum standards of access, quality and safety.
'And – for the first time – payments to NHS hospitals will be adjusted according to patient satisfaction and health outcomes, deepening our commitment to a patient-focused NHS.'
Brown said there would be new powers to ensure minimum standards and there would be a consultation on 'radical proposals in health to put more power in the hands of patients – including new rights to information about their care, to control their own personal budgets and to have more say over the decisions of their local primary care trust'.
The draft programme states that the Bill will provide new powers to suspend the chair and non-executive directors of NHS trusts 'that fail to meet the requirements of public office'.
Steve Barnett, acting chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said a health service constitution would enshrine the values and principles of the NHS, but that there would be challenges in making it meaningful.
'The NHS Confederation has long said that the NHS needs to focus more on patient experience and health outcomes, and a review of the payment system will be a helpful step in realising this,' he added.
The Healthcare Commission published the results of its 2007 patient survey on May 14. Just under 76,000 overnight patients at 165 hospital trusts responded, with 42% rating their care as 'excellent' – the top rating.
There was increased satisfaction in important areas. However, the commission said there were wide variations in the responses of patients at different NHS trusts.
Anna Walker, the commission's chief executive, said: 'There are striking variations in performance in key areas such as providing single-sex accommodation and giving people help when they need it. Those performing poorly must learn from those who perform well.'
A Department of Health spokeswoman said positive survey results on waiting times reflected patients' experience of improvements, which were the result of record levels of investment, hard work by staff and changes in the way the NHS operates.
View the Healthcare Commission's patient survey results here
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