Health Service Gets PM's Attention

The Prime Minister David Cameron and Health Secretary Andrew Lansley today committed to continue listening to patients and health professionals on the future of the health service.

The independent NHS Future Forum, the group of the country's top health experts who led the Listening Exercise on the Government's plans to modernise the NHS, is to continue its work listening to NHS staff, patients and the public.

The group, led by GP Professor Steve Field, will focus on several new areas covering education and training, for example.

That section aims to make sure there are the right incentives and accountabilities for developing the NHS workforce to deliver world-class health care.

On information, the group will look at how information can be made to improve health, care and wellbeing while on integrated care, the group will take advantage of the health and care modernisation programme to ensure services are better integrated around people's needs; and finally, on public health, it will try to ensure that the public's health remains at the 'heart of the NHS'.

David Cameron said: "The NHS Future Forum provided us with invaluable feedback from patients and NHS staff on how best we can protect our health service against the pressures it will face in the future.

"Professor Steve Field and his team worked tirelessly this summer and our plans to modernise the NHS are stronger as a result.

"I look forward to the insight the NHS Future Forum will be able to provide on these new and important areas and I am sure, with their expertise on board, we will be able to deliver the truly world-class health service we’re all striving for," he said.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "The work of the NHS Future Forum has been invaluable in helping shape our plans for improving the health service.

"It gave us the opportunity to address head on the concerns people had - helping to make the NHS more modern, dynamic and innovative.

"Following its report, I accepted all the core recommendations on issues like competition and local commissioning.

"I'm delighted that the NHS Future Forum will continue its excellent work with patients, service users and professionals, looking at important issues such as education and training, and ensuring we work towards an improved healthcare system.

Also commenting, the Chair of the independent NHS Future Forum Professor Steve Field said: "If we want the health and care system to change and meet the challenges of the future, then it is essential that we make sure that the thoughts and concerns of clinicians and, importantly, patients and service users, are listened to.

"With a broader membership across health and social care and a defined focus, I believe the NHS Future Forum will stimulate important debate on issues that really matter to people," he said, noting that the independent NHS Future Forum will report back to Ministers later this year.

(BMcC/GK)