Red tape warning over NHS bodies
A raft of new organisations set up to run the NHS could lead to a "a myriad of conflicting policies", a body which represents NHS organisations has warned.
Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said that the range of new bodies set up by the Government could lead to a "tsunami of bureaucracy".
Mr Farrar made his comments after a survey of NHS bosses found that 57% said a lack of expertise or experience in the new organisations is the biggest risk to the Government's NHS reforms.
Of the 252 chairs and chief executives of NHS organisations who responded to the survey, more than half said they were concerned about disruption caused by organisational restructuring.
In an article for the Health Service Journal, Mr Farrar said: "To be successful, these new organisations must listen - and keep listening - to NHS leaders. They must avoid overwhelming NHS organisations with complexity and instead focus on the critical overarching concerns that will matter most in the end.
"It's essential that national bodies ensure they are driving towards the same goals, not subjecting the NHS to a myriad of conflicting policies. Otherwise the NHS will be pulled in different directions and unable to make progress.
"They need to minimise the burdens their policies place on the system by making it as easy as possible to comply. With so many new structures, the danger of a tsunami of new bureaucracy is obvious. The NHS must stay focused on patient care, not repeatedly providing information in different formats to multiple bodies."
Health minister Simon Burns said: "The NHS Confederation is wrong - we are slashing NHS bureaucracy, not increasing it. Our reforms remove two layers of administration, saving taxpayers £5.5 billion over the course of this Parliament.
"Our reforms mean that doctors and nurses will be in charge of the NHS, not managers. It makes sense for the people that know their patients best - doctors and nurses - to take responsibility for driving up standards in their local NHS, free from bureaucratic interference.
"Careful work is under way now to ensure that new NHS bodies are prepared, but this is not affecting patient care. Waiting times are low, infection rates are down and patient satisfaction remains high."
