Organisation comments on health and social care reform agenda
By Ben Lobel
The CBI today commented on the Prime Minister’s speech to the King’s Fund on health and social care reform, which mentioned the CBI.
The CBI has been calling for a major shift in the way healthcare is delivered to provide more convenient services for patients. In a new report published last week, Best of health: Improving lives through smarter care, the CBI argued that more care could be delivered at home or in the community, and by a range of different providers.
Susan Anderson, CBI Director of Public Services & Skills, said:
“The Government is right to be looking at delivering more healthcare closer to home and in the community. Not only could this provide more convenient services for patients, it could also save around £15 billion for taxpayers.
“Our recent report highlights examples of how services have been re-designed to improve patients’ experiences. For example, making better use of technological advances is allowing more patients with long-term illnesses to manage their conditions from the comfort of their homes.
“Independent providers are already working within the NHS to deliver high-quality services for patients at lower cost. If the Government is really serious about giving patients more choice, it should allow the best healthcare provider to bid for NHS contracts on a level playing field, irrespective of whether they are from the public, private or third sectors.”
Edited by Ian Armitage