Variation among the Department of Health’s pathfinder commissioning consortia will help the government to learn lessons about potential models, according to stakeholder organisations.
The announcement of chosen pathfinder consortia was welcomed by the NHS Alliance, the National Association of Primary Care, and the King’s Fund think tank but condemned by the union Unison.
While chair of NHS Alliance Michael Dixon said: “The range of pathfinder consortia sizes and shapes (organisationally) shows that the era of ‘one-size-fits-all, dictated-from-Whitehall’ is over for good. We applaud the secretary of state’s courage and resolve in standing by his statements that the NHS should not be run from the centre, but led locally.”
Chair of the NAPC Johnny Marshall said the move marked the start of a transformation of primary care and the wider NHS to be “increasingly patient sensitive and patient driven”.
He said: “Today’s development presents a real opportunity to drive up the quality of services both in primary and secondary care, while at the same time eliminating waste, duplication, and interventions of dubious value.”
King’s Fund chief executive Chris Ham said it was good news for the health service. He said: “It is positive that so many groups of GPs have come forward as pathfinders, covering very different populations, both in their natures, size and geography.
“This gives the government a better chance of learning practical lessons about the different potential models of consortia,” he said.
However, Unison head of health Karen Jennings hit out at the Department of Health. She said: “These so called pathfinders are not pilots – they are designed to allow particularly zealous GP practices to jump the gun and implement reforms, before Parliament has even had a chance to vote on them.
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