The NHS White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS", sets out the Government's long-term vision for the future of the NHS. The vision builds on the core values and principles of the NHS - a comprehensive service, available to all, free at the point of use, based on need, not ability to pay. 

Please click here to download the NHS White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS".

Below are some of the key points from the paper. For more information and to download additional documents, please visit http://www.dh.gov.uk

• GPs are to be responsible for commissioning services to healthcare professionals closest to patients -  a consortium model is to be used to bring clusters of GPs together. 
  
  ·         150 Primary Care Trusts and 10 Strategic Health Authorities to be abolished over the next three years – to be replaced by the GP consortia and a new Independent and accountable NHS Commissioning Board.  The board will lead on the achievement of health outcomes, allocate and account for NHS resources, lead on quality improvement and promote patient involvement and choice. 
  
  ·         All NHS Foundation Trusts will have the freedom to leave the state sector and become employee led social enterprises, this will give them university style powers to borrow money and hire staff, setting pay scales etc.
  
  ·         Doctors will be required to keep data on their own performance and publish detailed evidence of hospital mortality rates. 
  
  ·         The collective voices of patients and the public will be led by local Authorities to promote choice and complaints advocacy – Local Involvement Networks (LINks) will be transformed into a Local HealthWatch.  There will also be a National Healthwatch located in the Care Quality Commission.  The CQC will also be strengthened and will continue to be recognized as an effective quality inspectorate across HSC. 
  
  ·         The Public Health Budget is to be ring fenced and public health and health improvement functions transferred to the Local Authority. A Director of Public Health will be jointly appointed within the newly formed Public Health Service.
  
  ·         A commission is to be established on the funding of long term care – a range of ideas are to be considered this includes both a voluntary insurance scheme and a partnership scheme. 
  
  ·         Information will be published on how well commissioners are performing, so they are held to account for public money. 
  
  ·         Incentives for quality improvement are discussed – payment systems will be the responsibility of commissioning boards and the economic regulator for pricing.  A payment by performance system will be established.  It is not clear if this payment system will include services provided by the voluntary sector.