NHS and care services staff wanting to establish independent John Lewis-style organisations to run the services they deliver have been given new ‘how-to’ guidance by the Department of Health.
In a statement the DH said:
“The Right to Provide scheme will enable all staff working anywhere in the NHS and care services to take ownership of the services they provide where clinically appropriate.
It builds on the Right to Request scheme under which NHS staff providing community health services could apply to become social enterprises. The guidance builds on the experience of healthcare staff who have been through the right to request, and sets out the process for the development of a staff-led enterprise.
Staff-led enterprises can give front-line professionals greater freedom to personalise and improve service delivery to the public, particularly to individuals and communities at the margins of society. This freedom puts them in a strong position to drive up quality and improve health outcomes.
These measures are not designed to make it easier for private providers to enter the NHS – some of the most successful examples of this approach have come from within the NHS. City Healthcare Partnership in Hull provides services to over half a million people including reducing emergency admissions and any profits it generates as part of this are made available as grants to fund local voluntary projects to improve health and wellbeing.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has reaffirmed the Department's commitment to making choice a reality for patients including a choice of any provider that is appropriately qualified. The Department will shortly issue its response to the consultation, Liberating the NHS: Greater choice and control, and guidance on implementing Any Qualified Provider.
Andrew Lansley said: 'I've heard from many NHS staff over the years that they could run their services better if they were given room to breathe and felt their voices were heard. I want as many of them as possible to come forward now and take back control of the NHS and care services.
'By giving staff real control of their services and patients real choice over who they receive care from we're restoring the balance of power.'
To give staff the financial support necessary to do this, at least £10 million additional funding is being given to the Social Enterprise Investment Fund. The Fund has already helped more than 400 social enterprises to establish themselves and compete to provide services."
The guidance can be found at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/digitalasset/dh_125638.pdf
TPP Law has extensive experience of helping groups to establish staff-led enterprises for public service delivery. If you would like to find out more, please get in touch.
For further information, please contact Mark Johnson on
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