Lansley slams Darzi's 'bureaucratic' regional roles

Andrew Lansley

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Greater influence proposed for strategic health authorities has raised fears about regionalising the NHS.

Under the Darzi proposals, SHAs will appoint new medical directors and assume responsibility for workforce strategy. They will set up new clinical advisory groups and clinical leadership fellowships, drive leadership development and manage innovation prizes.

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Instead of clinicians using pathways designed by clinicians, we will end up with a regional bureaucracy."

Monitor executive chair Bill Moyes said he wanted more and better foundation trust applications referred to the regulator by SHAs. They either needed to better prepare and co-ordinate applications or there should be a national unit to do the job instead. Monitor favoured the latter option, he said. "There are a lot of things on the SHA plate already and Darzi adds to that. We are clear that something needs to change."