Hundreds of NHS staff in Sefton are facing unemployment after the biggest healthcare shake-up since 1948 was announced this week.

Doctors are set to take over the reins of responsibility from PCT (Primary Care Trust) managers to spend around £80 billion of public healthcare funding in a move to increase patient power.

Southport MP John Pugh challenged Health Secretary Andrew Lansley on Monday about his claims that local residents, not doctors, will make key decisions for their NHS.

At present, the funding is passed on Sefton PCT, which pays for patients from the borough to be treated in hospital.

But under the new plans, which are set to roll into action from 2013, the borough's doctors would receive the money instead and pay the hospitals directly.

Sefton PCT currently employs over 1,500 staff, some of which are involved in management and administration, but Mr Lansley refused to give any guarantee that they would find similar jobs in the new set-up.

Under the plans, 500 doctors around the UK will decide how much to spend on patients and will “buy” services from local hospitals.

There is currently no evidence in favour of the proposals but Mr Lansley claims that patients will be able to choose any GP they like and treatment.

In the White Paper, he claims that management costs could be cut by some 45 percent but he also calls for hospitals to set aside more of their beds for private patients.

The Health Secretary was challenged by Mr Pugh in the Commons debates. He said: “The coalition agreement pledges to introduce true local democratic accountability through citizens actually being elected on to a health board.

"What can the Secretary of State do to persuade me, because he has not so far, that we will have local citizens, not doctors, making any decisions about the shape and configuration of local NHS services. Will any of them be consulted about his structural changes or allowed to do things differently locally?"

Mr Lansley replied: "Because patients will make their choices on the quality of service they receive, because the service will be free to them."

Mr Pugh told the Champion: "Given the current economic climate, any such large scale re-organisation and its cost and benefits needs to be put under substantial scrutiny before rushing on with it."

An NHS Sefton spokesperson said they are currently considering the implications that changes will have on the local area.

More information about the changes is available at:  www.dh.gov.uk/liberatingthenhs

 Source: Champion News - www.champnews.com