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Johnson hints at less structural change for NHSDate: 26/09/2007 09:39:59
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Health secretary Alan Johnson has given signals that the relentless structural changes to NHS services may be coming to an end.
Speaking yesterday at the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, Mr Johnson said that "permanent revolution" was over, but aides explained that while health authority restructuring would slow, hospital reconfigurations would still be carried out.
Choosing to emphasise the need to improve the quality of existing services such as ward hygiene and GP opening hours, the speech pleased some who had feared a further flirtation with 'choice' and the possible outsourcing of services to private sector providers.
Promising a more efficient personalised service, many others were, however, concerned by a lack of explanation of how this would be achieved without injecting yet more cash into the system.
The idea of GP surgeries opening on evenings or weekends has been welcomed by many who struggle to find a doctor outside their own working hours, but the British Medical Association has claimed that the change would require further resources.
Meanwhile, the health secretary was able to use his speech to point to the improvements that had been made thanks to new investment, such as reduced waiting times and improved survival rates for cancer and cardio-vascular disease.
"Having increased the capacity of the NHS, we can now concentrate remorselessly on quality, access and safety," said Mr Johnson, sending a message to many that the biggest upheavals were now in the past.
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