The health service in 2020 could see more co-payments, preventative services funded by social bonds and every citizen receiving an annual statement detailing their contributions to and consumption of public services.
That is the vision set out in the final report From social security to social productivity by the Commission on 2020 Public Services.
The report calls for a fundamental overhaul of Britain’s social welfare structure and a new settlement based on the principle of social citizenship with public services judged by the extent to which they help citizens, families and communities to achieve the social outcomes they desire.
However, one of the commission members warned plans to transfer NHS commissioning to GPs risked putting power in the hands of professionals rather than the public.
Greg Parston, director of the Accenture Institute for Public Service Value, said: “The power has to reside with citizens - patients and carers. What is happening with the current reforms is that we are putting power with the professional structures rather than the public structures.”
Although the commission is non-political, many of its conclusions are in line with the government’s idea of a “Big Society” with greater localism, volunteer involvement in providing local services and new models of ownership of services.
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