Patient choice at forefront of government's NHS plans

The government has unveiled plans aimed at relieving the strain on doctors and increasing choice for NHS patients, through the 'Building on the Best' Command Paper presented before Parliament today.

The health department has said that the paper outlines the results of the national consultation on extending patient choice, and the steps towards an NHS where every patient has a choice of when, where and how they are treated.

The paper sets out how, with the implementation of a new contractual framework for community pharmacy from next year, patients can get repeat prescriptions for medicines from a pharmacist of their choice for up to a year, without having to go back to their GP. The range of medicines that are available over the counter without prescription will also be expanded.

By December 2007, new IT arrangements will mean that patients who use this service will be able to pick up their repeat medicines from any pharmacy in England, the health department said.

Over the next year, the government will consider ways of opening up GP registration areas, so that commuters can register with a GP near their place of work, instead of at home. And primary care trusts will also work with a range of providers – including GP surgeries, community nurses and therapists - to "build new services" to provide tests, such as X-rays and blood tests, and specialist treatments.

The government also outlined plans for a minor ailments scheme to allow patients who are exempt from prescription charges to get over-the counter medicines direct from the pharmacist. This will make better use of specialist skills and training, and give patients quicker access to treatment on their doorstep. It also allows GPs to spend more of their time treating patients with more serious illnesses, the government added.

Health Secretary John Reid said that it was time to make "another substantial step forward", and give people "real, not theoretical, choices".

"I want choice, information and the power of personal preference extended to the many, not the few. I want to develop a patient-centred NHS which stays true to its founding principle of fairness for all," he said.

"Choice is the route to equity as well as excellence. And of course, increasing capacity in the NHS is key to offering patients choice. But as we have heard during the consultation, creating a more equitable NHS does not mean treating everyone exactly the same."

The British Medical Association said that the plans contain "imaginative initiatives" which will help patients get medicines by making best use of pharmacy services.

Yesterday, Dr Reid announced that every NHS patient in England will have an individual electronic care record by 2010.

The NHS Care Records Service will connect more than 30,000 GPs and 270 acute, community and mental health NHS trusts in a single, secure national system.

The 10-year £620 million contract to set up and run the service has been awarded to BT.

(gmcg)