The much anticipated white paper was released in mid July, with many of the rumours being confirmed over the proposed abolition of Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts, with a view to taking out tranches of management in the NHS and hand control to GP Consortia to take over the reigns as chief commissioners. So what does this mean from a recruitment perspective?
Commissioning is at the very heart of this reform, so where does this leave the experienced commissioners?
The first thing has to be the proposed timescales documented in the paper, there is an urgency about this reform, with Andrew Lansley urging reform to start now to ensure the deadlines are met.
There are a number of landmarks which is going to create a need for additional resource to ensure compliance:
- All trusts are to achieve Foundation Trust status by 2013
- GP Consortia to be up and running with budgetary control by 2013
- Increased responsibility and coverage of Monitor, Care Quality Commission and formation of Healthwatch England
- Formation of new National Commissioning Board
Work is underway in a number of these areas and will create movement in the market. There are approximately 120 organisations that will still need to achieve Foundation Trust status, or enter into a merger or face acquisition. These decisions will need to be taken, and with such a tight agenda, support from Monitor and bringing in specialist expertise to get applications on track will be a priority.
Commissioning is at the very heart of this reform, so where does this leave the experienced commissioners? This is the skill set that will be critical to the success of the transformation, placing this skill set at the top of the list of expertise that Consortia will require. The question of how the GP community will respond to the white paper, the increased responsibility, and the necessary transition to operating as larger business entities will sit comfortably with some, many of whom are already in place and successful, but will meet with considerable resistance from many who want to remain purely focussed on patient care.
