Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary, has delivered the first mandate from the Government to the NHS which sets out what patients in England can expect from GPs, hospitals and the wider NHS over the next two years.
The Mandate, which will be issued to the NHS Commissioning Board, marks a shift from process-focused targets towards an ambition for a modern service that concentrates on results. It sets out the Government’s priorities which include improving early diagnosis, cutting premature deaths from the biggest killers, improving care for new mothers and better help for dementia sufferers. The Mandate puts quality of care at the heart of what people can expect, with a clear requirement for the health service to treat every patient with dignity and respect, and for the best care to be available no matter where they live. The Mandate has been drawn up following consultation with the public, health professionals and key organisations across the health system between July and September 2012. Key objectives contained within the Mandate include:
• Improving standards of care and not just treatment, especially for the elderly and vulnerable.
• Better diagnosis, treatment and care for people with dementia.
• Better care for women during pregnancy, including a named midwife responsible for ensuring personalised, one-to-one care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.
• Patients will be able to give feedback on the quality of their care through the “Friends and Family Test” starting from next April. Patients will be able to tell which wards, A&E departments, maternity units and hospitals are providing the best care.
• By 2015 everyone will be able to book their GP appointments, order a repeat prescription and talk to their GP practice online. This will help people better manage their health and care.
• Treating mental and physical health with equal priority. This means everyone who needs mental health services having timely access to the best available treatment.
• Preventing premature deaths from the biggest killers.
• By 2015, everyone should be able to find out how well their local NHS is providing the care they need, with the publication of the results it achieves for all major services.
The Commissioning Board will be given a budget of over £95 billion for 2013/14, in order to deliver the objectives set out in the Mandate. The NHS Mandate is structured around five key areas where the Government expects the NHS Commissioning Board to make improvements. These include preventing people from dying prematurely; enhancing quality of life for people with long-term conditions; helping people to recover from episodes of ill health or following injury; ensuring everyone has access to the best available care; and treating and caring for people in a safe environment and protecting them from avoidable harm. Commenting on the publication of the NHS Mandate, Cathy Warwick, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “We welcome the NHS mandate. One of the key objectives is ensuring better care for women during pregnancy, including a named midwife responsible and ensuring personalised, one-to-one care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. This objective will need to be clearly defined. The RCM believes it reflects a more personalised service which we know women are asking for.” Marie Curie also welcomed the focus on end of life care in the NHS Mandate. Imelda Redmond CBE, director of policy and public affairs said: “We are pleased to see the inclusion of end of life care as a priority area. “Many people who are terminally ill still struggle to access the care they need. If end of life care had not been included in the NHS Mandate there was a real risk that fewer people would have been able to access high quality palliative and end of life care services.”
