The Conservatives have revealed plans in their draft election manifesto to hand back power to GPs by giving them control of their patients’ personal budgets.
In a speech at the King’s Fund, Shadow Health Minister Stephen O’Brien (pictured) announced that authority would be given to GPs to control real cash budgets with which to commission care.
As part of the plans, GPs’ earnings would be linked to the standard of the results they delivered and full training would be given to them before the changes were introduced.
The changes hope to make the NHS more “locally driven” and “patient centred”, goals which are extended to the Tories’ wider plans.
The move towards patient responsibility would mean that clinical need would determine funding flows.
Mr O’Brien said health outcomes that assess the whole care pathway would replace “politically motivated” process targets. He did not reveal which target would be scrapped.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
The Conservative Draft Election Manifesto
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