12 April 2006
Reforms in the NHS will bring improvement as the service becomes "patient-centred", Tony Blair said today.
But proper financial disciplines and accountability were likely to present a "real challenge" for some NHS Trusts, he admitted.
Tony Blair and Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt called the meeting with senior managers from primary care trusts and health authorities from around England.
Speaking after some trusts announced job losses and financial problems, Mr Blair told the round-table summit:
"The hard thing is that when change is happening there’s enormous resistance but sometimes what’s important is to hold your own and have confidence that the change will deliver a better service.
"In many circumstances what is being exposed are problems that have built up over a considerable period of time, and frankly it is time we dealt with them."
He said the government had overseen many improvements in the health service, including falling waiting lists and times.
But he added:
"Despite all of that there is a real challenge for certain trusts, and for the system as a whole, as we introduce what is effectively a re-engineering of the whole system of the NHS in order to put the patient at the centre of it, in order to introduce proper financial disciplines and accountability."
During today’s meeting Sir Ian Carruthers, the acting NHS Chief Executive, gave a presentation on "Financial Recovery in the NHS".
Meanwhile, Mrs Hewitt announced that the number of Strategic Health Authorities is being reduced from 28 to 10 to 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, she said.
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