Secretary of State for Health Patricia
Hewitt today announced a reorganisation of Strategic Health Authorities
(SHAs) in England.
This is the first announcement from the Commissioning a Patient-Led
NHS consultation, which ended on 22nd March. The number of SHAs will
be reduced from 28 to 10 and will ensure the NHS is structurally able
to deliver the next stage of health reforms. Fewer, more strategic
organisations will deliver stronger commissioning functions, leading
to improved services for patients and streamlined back office functions
will mean better value for money for the taxpayer.
Taken alongside the planned reorganisation of primary care trusts
(PCTs), details of which will be announced shortly, these changes will:
- Strengthen the architecture of the local NHS.
- Save money by streamlining management and administration to provide
better value for money so greater resources can be dedicated to
patient care. This is another step towards creating an NHS which
is patient-led.
- Cut out unnecessary bureaucracy by bringing together administration
services and reducing the duplication of administration, human resource
functions, accounts and hospital contract negotiation teams.
The new configuration of SHAs means they will be better placed
to oversee and support the development of more strategic PCTs and
the
move towards
more NHS Foundation Trusts. In addition, through almost complete
co-terminosity with Government Office of the Regions’ boundaries,
joint working between health and local government agencies will
be improved significantly. Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said:
" These improvements to the local NHS will mean more money
for frontline services and better care for patients."
The new SHA map was unveiled at a seminar at Number 10 Downing Street
where the Prime Minister and Patricia Hewitt heard an update on the
financial turnaround programme from Sir Ian Carruthers, the acting
Chief Executive of the NHS.
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