Memorandum submitted by James Halsey (PCT
25)
1. I am a lay person and do not feel confident
about responding to the terms of reference, but would like to
make the following comments.
2. I struggle with the title Commissioning
a Patient-Led NHS, as having read as much as I can about this
initiative, I cannot see the Patient as a priority.
3. I may be way off beam, but as a lay person
involved in the NHS in a number of areas, I think this is all
about money and under any other name appears to be the stealth
privatisation of the NHS. Once you commission instead of provide
services, one important consideration for any independent provider
must be cost.
4. In the majority of cases, public consultation
appears to be a tick box exercise and I question as to whether
or not there is any hard evidence that confirms that not only
is the public listened to, but their views change Government thinking.
5. This initiative, coupled with "Agenda
for Change", has left many NHS staff uncertain about their
future, which must affect morale. Despite all of this they continue
to try and deliver high quality care to patients, against a backdrop
of a target driven and ever-changing NHS.
6. I always try and adopt a positive attitude
about any initiative but really question whether this initiative
is truly about patients.
James Halsey
5 November 2005
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