LONDON: One in five NHS bodies could end up with huge deficits or fail if the government introduces a market-based system for health care, according to a report published today.
The country’s health care system could be headed for more financial problems, the report by thinktank the King’s Fund said. Already, one in four NHS reported a loss in the year 2004-05, despite unprecedented increases in funding. The government’s planned reforms could only worsen the situation.
The government plans to introduce reforms such as greater use of community services, larger provision for the private sector, and more importantly – patient choice – where the patient is allowed to choose from a list of health care providers. This, the King’s Fund said, would result in the best hospitals getting the most businesses while the lesser ones would be left deeper in the red, besides forcing NHS hospitals to compete against each other.
A number of NHS trusts could fail, and even worse - it could put the quality of patient care at risk, the report warns.
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the independent thinktank, explained that a market-based system is not suitable for the nation’s health care services. Market incentives will result in further instability as different NHS bodies try to improve efficiency and responsiveness, he said.
He urged the government for a more flexible financial structure that would help deal with hospital failure. He recommended appointing an independent administrator to take charge of trusts that failed to measure up in financial performance or patient care.
The government also plans to allow private hospitals to offer some of the health care services that were until now provided only by government bodies. Such a move would further deplete the income for some NHS hospitals.
While the King’s Fund is not-so-upbeat about the road ahead, many NHS officials seem to think otherwise. A spokesperson insisted that “a well-established regime was already in place” to deal with financial problems in NHS bodies.
Meanwhile, the NHS Confederation, representing managers and trusts, has agreed in substance with the King’s Fund’s report. The Confederation’s chief executive Nigel Edwards said that trusts should not be forced to cut services in the even of poor revenues. In such a case, the “Patients will be the real losers” he cautioned.
Posted
on : Thu, 08 Dec 2005 01:35 GMT | General News
By : Anne Philips
|
