Fa dies que dura l'enrenou britànic entorn el primer article de la
nova llei de salut. La qüestió s'ho mereix perquè es tracta de formalitzar un canvi fonamental en la percepció ciutadana.
Resum:
In the past, the Secretary of State, or health authorities to
which he delegated his functions, have provided hospital or other services
directly. But that is no longer the case. The Department of Health is not a
provider of NHS services – it has neither the staff nor facilities to make
NHS services directly available to the public.
The proposed new arrangements set out more clearly where responsibility
should lie, rather than relying on a system of delegation. Under the Bill,
the function of arranging the provision of NHS services (i.e.
commissioning) is given directly to the NHS Commissioning Board (“the
Board”) and clinical commissioning groups. Secretary of State’s role is to
set objectives for the NHS and to ensure that functions conferred on
bodies lower down the system are being carried out effectively so as to
meet those objectives. If Secretary of State were to retain those powers in
parallel, it would enable him to cut across the Board and clinical
commissioning groups, undermining the mandate and the stability of the
system and opening the door to political micromanagement.
De fet es tracta de traslladar a les lleis el que ja és una pràctica amb a els Primary Care Trusts. Fa mesos que estan encallats aquí i l'Allison Pollock ahir a
The guardian hi tornava a donar voltes sobre el tema.
Reports of drastic cuts to NHS frontline services lie behind the extreme urgency with which the government is pushing its changes. Cuts on the scale envisaged are only possible if the duties laid on government by parliament are abolished.
La discusió que tenen és rellevant, però es troben en un moment delicat. Han de retallar despesa i tenen una llei per debatre al parlament. Veurem si tots dues qüestions són compatibles i se'n surten.
