NHS Staff Takeover £900m Frontline Services

Thousands of frontline NHS staff are taking control of the services they deliver in a drive to transform patient care and improve health outcomes, Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley announced today.

Thirty-two projects will form the third wave of NHS organisations that want to set up social enterprises, through the NHS 'Right to Request' scheme that gives public sector workers the opportunity to become their own bosses.

Unveiling the third wave proposals today, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley also announced an additional £4.4million will be made available through the Department's Social Enterprise Investment Fund. This money will support the successful Right to Request schemes and encourage others who wish to become social enterprises.



By becoming social enterprises, clinical staff gain the freedom to make their own decisions about the services they deliver locally, allowing them to be more responsive to their patients' needs. 

Today's announcement of the third wave of proposals means that, since it was set up in 2008, 'Right to Request' has generated a total of 61 innovative proposals from staff to take over the services they provide.

These proposals will transfer an estimated £900m of services and almost 25,000 NHS staff into the social enterprise sector.

The proposals in this third and final wave span nine of the ten Strategic Health Authorities and include services like primary care access for the vulnerable and homeless, sexual health services, and support for bereaved children and families. 



Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley said: "I am encouraged by the enthusiasm with which NHS frontline staff have embraced the 'Right to Request' scheme. This represents a major milestone in the delivery of the White Paper commitment to create the largest and most vibrant social enterprise sector in the world. We want to empower millions of public sector workers to become their own boss and help them to deliver better services.

"This is about a fundamental power shift, taking power from Whitehall and placing it in the hands of frontline staff who know best the needs of their communities. This is what the Big Society is all about."

(BMcN/GK)