Government eyes timing as Health Bill amendments pour in

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The government is preparing for months of House of Lords debate over the Health Bill, including potential changes.

Coalition ministers are currently negotiating with Labour peers over the length of time the bill will be discussed at its committee and report stage.

The government is hoping to limit committee stage – which begins on Tuesday (October 25) – to 10 days to prevent knock-on delay. One or two committee sessions can be held each week. The Opposition is calling for at least 14.

HSJ understands the Department of Health is now confident the bill will be passed before the end of the parliamentary session, expected around Easter. Ministers may still need to use controversial forced time limits to speed up the process.

The government has today table its own first amendments in the Lords. One implements a duty on the health secretary in relation to a system for professional education and training – something it committed to in its response to the NHS Future Forum.

The others are technical changes. Another is expected soon to change information governance rules, which which has already been promised to the British Medical Association, and is also believed to be a technical rather than policy change.

Further shifts will depend on the demands of peers and interest groups. Numerous proposed amendments have already been published and many more are expected before the committee stage begins.

Ministers have accepted the bill will be “improved” in the Lords. Frontrunners for areas where changes will be conceded include the health secretary’s duties and accountability for the service; and foundation trusts’ private patient income cap.

There are other areas where interest groups share concerns, which will be probed in detail, while Lords may also successfully rally around less widely expected causes.

The DH is expecting ministers to be pressed into making significant statements of policy, which will affect implementation, even if they do not change the bill.

The government is currently maintaining the position that, following the NHS Future Forum review, health policy is agreed across the coalition, so it is unlikely to accept further significant U-turns without fighting.