Covering the fall-out: National Voices’ members’ concerns surrounding the decision to abolish NHS England and cut ICB running costs by 50%
- Health inequalities
- Person-centred care
- Primary care
- Integrated care
We proactively worked with members to collate their concerns surrounding the abolition and cost reductions, and outlined opportunities which could arise from the restructure. This paper covers the evidence given to the Health and Social Care Committee, shaped through our engagement with members, as well as providing further evidence and concerns that could not be shared with the committee within the allotted time. It also outlines initial concerns around the recent letter from Sir Jim Mackey to Trusts and Integrated Care Boards.
Member concerns
The paper notes the following concerns:
- Ensuring legacy, memory and expertise is not lost as NHS England (NHSE) is merged with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) – NHSE has worked hard to involve people in decision-making, and we would want to see that built upon rather than abandoned in a hasty effort to cut costs.
- Emphasising the case for a directorate-level patient experience team alongside accountability at ICB board level for patient experience to drive through improvements.
- Recognising that central direction from NHSE’s new CEO, Jim Mackey, risks losing patient engagement and voice which are vital to ensure the Government can achieve its 10 Year Health Plan three shifts.
- Outlining that this move back to DHSC can result in a loss of trust, widening health inequalities and leading to a shift of specialised commissioning.
Looking forward
Given we expect to hear further transition plan announcements, this paper is a reflection of National Voices and member concerns at the time of writing and will not be comprehensive, but we hope it proves useful to you as you analyse and cover the fall-out from the announcement.
We will continue to advocate for our members and their concerns, highlighting opportunities to implement partnership with the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector, and alleviating their concerns.