Hewitt pushes ahead with NHS reforms

In her first speech as Health Secretary this morning, Patricia Hewitt announced an extra 1.7 million operations in a deal worth around £3 billion over the next five years.

Ms Hewitt denied that the plan was "dismantling the NHS." She said: "We are reforming and we will transform the NHS so that it is far better for patients. It will be different - and it will be better."

Operations purchased from private clinics are expected to include elective (non-emergency) surgery such as those for knee and hip replacements.

The deal to purchase additional operations from the private sector will effectively double Government spending in health care provided by the private sector, raising private sector input to around 10% of the service provided by the NHS.

Government reforms will mean that more patients will receive treatment in a shorter time frame and will have a greater choice of treatment centres.

However, NHS management and doctors are concerned at the transfer of emphasis and a greater reliance on private health care treatment for major surgical procedures.

Ms Hewitt announced the plan at a conference of NHS managers being held in Birmingham today.

Previously Trade and Industry Secretary, Ms Hewitt took over as Health Secretary following a cabinet reshuffle completed by Tony Blair this week.

The latest figures released by the NHS indicate that people waiting six months or more had fallen by 32.5% and that the waiting list had shrunk by almost 3% on the previous month's figures.

Commenting on planned private sector increase, Mr James Johnson, chairman of the British Medical Association, said: "Competition in itself is not a bad thing but the government must ensure that it does not destabilise NHS services.

"The government is planning to expose the NHS to greater competition with the private sector, but has so far failed to explain satisfactorily what will happen to hospitals that cannot compete. It would be unfair if specialties such as Accident and Emergency, which the private sector has been less interested in providing, were undermined because NHS hospitals were unable to survive in a competitive market.

"We remain concerned that independent sector treatment centres will deal with the most straightforward cases while the NHS is left to treat patients with more complex problems.

"If there is to be competition, it must take place on a level playing field. Moreover, junior doctors need to be able to carry out simple procedures to develop their skills.

"We are still waiting for clarity from the government on the ways private health providers will offer training," he said.

(SP)