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The Health Select Committee report is being quoted on a selective basis to support the arguments for change. However in it's conclusion, the recommendation was to retain PCTs and give the PCTs the necessary levers to be able to deliver effective commissioning and leadership of the NHS.

Whilst PCTs have failed to deliver what was expected of them, the problems are more systemic and not just down to bad management. The current commentary in the HSJ is excessively critical of PCTs and ignore the fact that PCTs were driven by top down demands and distractions. PCTs have been required too often to knee jerk to the latest dictat from the department. Transforming Community Services was/is a good case in point.

SHAs and PCTs are required to make the £15 to £20 Billion savings over the next few years and it is vitally important that we as leaders in the NHS deliver today's agenda at the same time as planning the transition to a new world. Maintaining morale and motivation across the whole of the NHS family is crucial and is not helped by the continual negative comments that I have been reading over the last few weeks.

Which part of the NHS will be the next scape goat for sytemic failure?