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The most important point of Jeremy Hunt's speech has been completely lost - it is a focus on raising standards, patient care and health outcomes -

"why are our survival rates from the big killer diseases still not the best in Europe?.....

If our mortality rates for the five major killer diseases were as good as the best in Europe, we would save 20,000 lives a year. 20,000 personal tragedies that we could be avoiding - but are not. "

It is extrememly important we raise health standards, and outcomes should be on a par with other leading health economies. It is not acceptable that my mother (and other family's loved ones)who died from colon cancer 2 years ago, if she had been treated in many other EU countries, should is likely to have survived longer and might still be alive.

It really is important that outcomes are improved - probably the most important NHS target there has been.

I also welcome the new patient assessment -
"And as of next year all hospitals will be assessed against the number of patients who would recommend the care they received to friends or family. "

This is a great improvment from former patient surveys and experience measurements as I mentioned in my HSJ article some years ago - (https://www.hsj.co.uk/ginette-camps-walsh-on-measuring-patient-satisfaction/1796342.article )
As I mention in this article "Some private sector healthcare organisations take this very seriously and the patient ratings are part of their managers' appraisal and bonus scheme."

There was no mention of regulating NHS managers in Jeremy Hunt's speech - I was there.
In fact managers were congratulated alongside doctors and nurses - "Thanks to their commitment, our nurses, doctors, managers and professional staff have delivered brilliant results over the last 2 years"

As well as being congrtaulated it is also important that managers work together with their clinical colleagues and others to raise standrads and outcomes and all take responsibility for this. So why not introduce rewards for the excellent as well as taking responsibility and remedial action for poor outcomes?