Budgets For Hospital Clinicians - Darzi

July 1st 2009

Doctors and nurses should have more control over budgets - and many central targets scrapped, according to health minister Lord Darzi yesterday.

Doctors and nurses in hospitals could be given budgets to manage - promoting "entrepreneurship and innovative delivery of services", according to Lord Darzi.

The peer's new proposals come one year after his first report on the NHS.

He says some waiting time targets - 13 weeks for out-patients and 26 weeks for in-patients - should be scrapped as "obsolete".

And he calls for a new voluntary peer review system to encourage clinicians to work together to improve quality.

The well-being of NHS staff should also be a priority, he said.

Lord Darzi said: "The fantastic progress made since the publication of my report last year and the commitment we are making to continuing this will mean that our focus on quality will deliver a health service that meets the expectations of NHS patients, the aspirations of NHS staff and the value for money demanded by taxpayers."

The proposals were welcomed by the Royal College of Physicians.

President Professor Ian Gilmore said: "The challenge for the NHS is to ensure that the components of the agenda are practical and deliverable ensuring that the laudable aspirations can be transferred from paper into practice, especially in an increasingly cash-strapped environment."

There was also a welcome from the Royal College of Nursing.

Chief executive Dr Peter Carter said: "If we are to make quality a reality rather than an aspiration, it is vital that nurses are empowered and given the right level of support.

"We have always said clinical leadership is key to driving up patient care and welcome the news that nurses are set to have greater control over budgets. Their frontline perspective means nurses know where money should be spent to achieve the best care for patients. "

He added: "However, adequate support and training for these professionals is needed, particularly while the threat of public spending cuts looms."

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