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National Standards, Local Action

Health and Social Care Standards and Planning Framework 2005/06-2007/08

Published in July 2004, this Department of Health policy document outlined priorities for the NHS as follows:

  • Health and wellbeing of the whole population
  • Good management of people who have long-term conditions, such as MS
  • Improving access to services
  • Putting the patient/user experience at the centre of health service care

Two other major changes were announced in this document.

The first is a move away from targets, such as waiting times for operations, to a number of high quality national standards which all hospitals and other healthcare providers will have to meet.

The second is the implementation of 'Payment By Results'. This is a scheme that provides a national tariff of fees that hospitals may charge for specific interventions, so there is a standard set price for eg consultation with a neurologist. In theory, therefore, patients may have more choice about where to access treatment as the money travels with the patient, rather than doctors setting up a contract with a specific hospital.

More information about National Standards, Local Action , including a full copy of the document, is available from the Department of Health website.