Hutton devolves more power to frontline NHS

More decision-making will be devolved to the frontline of the NHS, with GP practices directly commissioning care and services tailored to the specific needs of their patients, Health Minister John Hutton announced today.

From April 2005, practices will be able to receive an 'indicative budget' from Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) that can be used to improve the delivery of services. Any savings which result from managing referrals more efficiently will be shared between practices and PCTs with all of those savings being reinvested into patient care.

Mr Hutton said: "This will enable GP practices and other groups to play a bigger role in commissioning services for their patients and local populations. It will mean greater flexibility for GPs to deliver services tailored to their patients' needs.

"PCTs and practices should see Practice Led Commissioning as an opportunity to change the NHS from the bottom-up. Money freed through Practice Led Commissioning will be ploughed back into the delivery of patient services, therefore increasing investment in primary care.”

The proposals outlined today will be 'road-tested' with the NHS over the next few weeks.

Mike Dixon, chairman of the NHS Alliance, the main representative organisation of PCTs in England, said: "Practice-led commissioning should re-ignite the enthusiasm of frontline GPs and practices who want to have a greater say in improving the range and quality of services available to their patients.

"It will support and strengthen Primary Care Trust commissioning by making it more sensitive to individual patients and the decisions they make with their frontline clinicians. Its success will depend upon local practices and the Primary Care Trust developing effective working relationships that enable them to provide the right services, which meet the choices that their patients wish to make."

No targets will be set for the numbers of practices to become involved in Practice Led Commissioning - practices will be encouraged to respond to it at their own pace. Groups other than practices - such as community based nursing teams - could also hold an indicative budgets for groups like vulnerable adults.

It means patients will be able to benefit from a greater variety of services from a larger number of providers in settings that are closer to home or more convenient for them.

Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) will produce an annual report on the progress of Practice Led Commissioning in their area and the results fed back to the NHS.

(MB)