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News on the White Paper
27 August 2010
News > Policy matters
Analysis and questions on the white paper from the NHS Confederation
The white paper proposes radical changes to where power sits in the system, realigns the existing hierarchy and moves from quasi-markets that were often really just managed systems to full-blooded market mechanisms with limited system management. It also represents an attempt to change the nature of political involvement in the detailed management of the system and the way that the NHS is held to account for its performance. Finally, it involves a very large structural reorganisation of the NHS.
This paper from the NHS Confederation analyses the proposals and highlights key questions under each of the following themes:
- GP commissioning
- NHS Commissioning Board
- providers
- economic regulation
- democratic legitimacy
- outcomes.
UNISON takes legal action over NHS white paper
UNISON has taken legal action against the Secretary of State for Health, challenging his refusal to consult the public on proposals in the White Paper, Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS. The day after the White Paper was published, NHS Chief Executive Sir David Nicholson wrote to all NHS chief executives instructing them to start implementing the proposals 'immediately'. UNISON wrote to Sir David saying this instruction was unlawful.
The union argues that no steps should be taken to implement the changes in any way, until the public have had the opportunity to consider and comment on them. Sir David said he would write again to NHS chief executives reminding them they should not implement the White Paper proposals until the consultation period had ended. However, he also said the consultation was limited to how the proposal should be implemented not on whether the proposal should be implemented - ie the public's view on the White Paper proposals themselves was not being requested and would not be considered.
www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=1958
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