Health Committee publishes Commissioning report

On 19th January the Health Select Committee published its report into NHS Commissioning.  The report scrutinises the Government’s plans to hand over £80bn of the NHS budget to GPs, as outlined in last year’s White Paper.  After hearing evidence from a wide range of witnesses, the Committee concluded that although more effective commissioning is key to the delivery of the unprecedented efficiency gains being required, the plan to introduce GP commissioning came as a surprise.  The pace and uncertainty surrounding the changes means that the transition will be risky.

Valerie Vaz MP said: “At a time when massive savings are being imposed on the health service, dismantling Primary Care Trusts and opening the NHS up to private sector competition is a huge risk.  I hope the Government will heed the Committee’s warnings and reconsider the pace and scale of these drastic changes”

The Committee has announced a follow-up enquiry into Commissioning, following the publication of the Health and Social Care Bill.

More information on the report can be found here.