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The Department of Health in England has conducted a review of its arm’s-length bodies (ALBs) The report of the review, which follows the publication of the White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS, sets out proposals for ALBs in the health and social care sector. These proposals form part of the cross-Government strategy to increase accountability and transparency, and to reduce the number and cost of quangos.

What's staying, what's going and what's being moved:

• Monitor, the Care Quality Commission, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Health and Social Care Information Centre and NHS Blood & Transplant have a clear future as arm’s-length bodies
• The functions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority will be transferred to other organisations.
• The Health Protection Agency and the National Treatment Agency will be abolished as statutory organisations and their functions will be transferred to the Secretary of State as part of the new Public Health Service
• The Alcohol Education Research Council, the Appointments Commission, the National Patient Safety Agency and NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement will be abolished.
• The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence will be moved out of the sector to operate on a full-cost recovery basis
  
• The NHS Litigation Authority and NHS Business Services Authority will be subject to a commercial review by industry experts
• The General Social Care Council will have its function transferred to an existing professional regulator
  
  

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/DH_117691