Consultation Responses

The listening exercise seeks views on:

• the role of choice and competition for improving quality
• how to ensure public accountability and patient involvement in the new system
• how new arrangements for education and training can support the modernisation process
• how advice from a range of healthcare professions can improve patient care.

ANEC’s response stressed that competition should not be at the expense of integrated provision and sustainable local services; that GP consortia should operate in an open and accountable manner and should be required to develop their commissioning plans in partnership with Health and Wellbeing Boards on the basis of needs identified in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessments; that the role of the NHS Commissioning Board should be clarified and that it should have a presence in each region; and that private providers who win NHS contacts should be required to provide training for the NHS workforce.