NHS overhaul

As you will be aware, the government is overhauling the NHS in England. The plans will see the biggest changes in the NHS since its foundation, and have unsurprisingly proved controversial. Under the plans, GPs and other clinicians will be given much more responsibility for spending the budget in England, and greater competition with the private sector will be encouraged.

Following input from MPs, unions, Royal Colleges and other stakeholders, the government took the unprecedented step of putting the plans on hold to canvas further views, ‘pausing’ the legislation while an independent review (the Future Forum) collected more views on how improvements could be made.

The College raised concerns about how the scale and the pace of change may impact on the care and, in particular, the continuity of care that can be given to patients with mental health problems. We had particular concerns about the skills of new commissioning bodies to support mental health commissioning and whether the Bill, as it stands, may increase health inequalities. There were also concerns around competition, education and training, and the future role of Colleges and Deaneries.

Revisions

A series of revisions have been made in the Commons, including giving health professionals other than GPs powers over NHS funding and stronger safeguards against a market free-for-all.

While the College welcomed the inclusion of non-GP clinicians in the newly-termed ‘clinical commissioning groups’, we still seek assurances that mental health will enjoy real parity with physical health, as agreed to in the Government's own mental health strategy. The Bill is due to go the House of Lords in October and it is expected to be given a bumpy ride with Peers likely to question the plans further.

This is particularly timely, as it’s Party Conference season and the College will be represented at all three, starting with the Liberal Democrats this weekend. We’ve an interesting programme of meetings lined up with Parliamentarians, stakeholders, and other mental health organisations, and well as the many fringe events that take place, where we’ll be aiming to raise the profile of the College and its work as well as promoting psychiatric and mental health issues.