The ‘better public services’ hot potato. Can the solution to NHS reform be found in putting citizens at the heart of the decision-making process? An Expert View from Article 13.
The UKÂ’s Modernising Government agenda has a commitment to deliver public services to meet the needs of citizens, not the convenience of service providers. In this monthÂ’s Expert's View, Article 13, the leading corporate social responsibility experts, argues that to meet the needs of citizens you need to involve them and, by reviewing the recent round of NHS reform, evaluates what this can look like in practice.
(PRWEB) March 30, 2003
Does reform mean the dawn of a new citizen led era for health or does it represent privatisation by stealth? Can a reformed health service help the UK create the healthy communities it needs to play a productive role in the worldÂ’s economy?
All change please
The Alder Hey child organs scandal, the catalogue of errors at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and most recently the fiddling of waiting lists found by the Audit CommissionÂ’s spot checks at NHS trustsÂ… While the majority of doctors are no doubt conscientious and overworked, the British public no longer puts its faith in medicine and science.
Involvement for allÂ
The governmentÂ’s new commission for patient and public involvement in health started work in January. It will report to the health secretary, Alan Millburn, on patient involvement issues and, at a local level, encourage public participation on trust (hospital) and primary care trust (GPs etc.) boards.
Â… or an elite for a few?
A second proposal of NHS reform is to turn some hospitals into autonomous, locally run “foundations”, with the ability to raise private finance and more freedom to set staff pay.
So whatÂ’s the evidence?
Are these initiatives really involving citizens in order to deliver public services that meet their needs or are they just a panacea?
Creating healthy communities
There is growing recognition that access to health services plays a huge part in regenerating deprived areas, particularly when service delivery is planned to meet the needs of the public in conjunction with other services such as housing, employment, food, transport and leisure facilities.
And the verdict is
To deliver public services that meet the needs of citizens it is essential to involve citizens.
This is only a very brief outline of the contents of the article. To read the full Expert View, visit www. article13.com.
Ends
Article 13 work in the area of corporate responsibility and corporate governance for global businesses right across industry, UK and EU Government and the voluntary sector to deliver a new way of doing business. Areas of expertise include scenarios, business planning, supply chain management, culture change, performance measurement and management, web consultancy services, dialogue and communication. Article 13 approaches business responsibility from the mainstream business angle and works through dialogue to unlock the opportunities of business responsibility to deliver innovation and competitive edge.
Article 13's co-directors, Neela Bettridge and Jane Fiona Cumming, have extensive experience in a number of critical fields: commerce and communications, social and environmental arenas, legal and business strategy. Article 13 also draws on the wisdom of distinguished advisors: Dr Paul Toyne, Professor Chris Baines, Chris Hoare, Professor Colin Gilligan, Susan Clayton, Neill Irwin, Professor Dave Owen and Andrew Acland. This panel, in turn, is complemented by a network of specialists drawn from the social, environmental, economic, ethical and business worlds.
For further information please contact Lucy Shea
Article 13, Bradley House, 26 St Albans Lane, London, NW11 7QE
Tel: 0208 731 7700
Fax: 020 8731 8800
Lucys@article13.com
Www. article13.com
