July 12, 2007

10:10am Wednesday 11th July 2007

FOLLOWING Gordon Brown's arrival at Number 10 and his reshuffle things are moving fast at Westminster.

The new Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson MP, made an important statement last week. He promised a period of stability without further major NHS reorganisations which will please all staff as knee-jerk responses, not adequately thought out, to problems in the NHS have been unwelcome distractions to staff from their main task of providing the best health care to patients or managing the service to help achieve that aim. He also promised to use the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) for all contested health service reconfigurations. Remembering that the IRP was formed to take the politics out of such health service changes directly as a result of our hospital campaign and that Patricia Hewitt did not use the Panel as much as she could have done, this is indeed a welcome and sensible change of tactic.

The main part of the statement was to explain the NHS Next Stage Review' to be led by newly promoted Professor Sir Ara Darzi to be a health minister. The terms of reference contain the usual high sounding phrases like, "to identify the way forward for a 21st century NHS which is clinically driven, patient-centred and responsive to local communities." The review "should engage with patients, NHS staff and the public." I asked the Health Secretary how the views of patients and the public were to be collected remembering that we are in limbo between Patient Forums and Local Involvement Networks that will take over from Forums. He answered that the "detail is being worked out by Professor Darzi and his team across the country" but he went on to agree that "It is important that we hear the patient's voice, and that it is accurately recorded." I hope that Professor Darzi, as a highly respected, academic, teaching hospital consultant surgeon, is the appropriate person to carry out this review and that he will act on patients' and the public's views as well as those of the professions. Yesterday's Guardian previewed his revolutionary report on London's health care. London is indeed a special case and I can understand his aims. There is a hint that he accepts that other more rural parts of the country will require different solutions. I hope to arrange a meeting with him to emphasise the needs of patients in rural and semi-rural communities.

The Prime Minister himself is proposing wide constitutional reforms aimed at increasing the power of Parliament and thus of the people. Examples of where he wishes to reduce the power of the executive in favour of Parliament are the power to declare war, to dissolve and recall parliament, to ratify international treaties and to make key public appointments without effective scrutiny. What a welcome change this will be if it really happens! I shall watch the progress with great interest.

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