Plan to cut Welsh local health boards to eight

Apr 3 2008 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

PLANS have been unveiled to slash the number of local health boards in Wales from 22 to just eight.

Health Minister Edwina Hart has also announced proposals to end the internal market in the NHS by directly funding NHS trusts and LHBs.

The possible end to the costly and overly-bureaucratic network of 22 LHBs comes just five years after they were created by Mrs Hart’s predecessor Jane Hutt.

Instead of LHBs covering the same area as Wales’ 22 councils, they would be brought into line with the existing NHS trusts.

It is hoped the move, announced a day after seven health trusts merged to create three “super trusts”, could save millions of pounds in management costs.

Mrs Hart, who has launched a three-month consultation on the plans, said, “My ultimate aim is to improve patient care and the patient experience.

“Work is already well under way in Wales to reduce bureaucracy and remove artificial boundaries within the NHS in Wales.

“Three new NHS trusts became operational [on Tuesday] after the merger of seven trusts. This new simplified structure will provide better joint working between hospitals, further career opportunities for staff, easier access to a wider range of health professionals and – with smaller management – more money can be channelled to frontline services to improve patient care.

“The consultation I am launching aims to build on this work and the proposals are driven by a desire to have administrative arrangements for the NHS that are effective in improving services to patients – and supportive of our collaborative approach to improvement across the public services.”

Under the NHS structuring proposals, which were announced last night, the much-criticised internal market would be abolished. It is thought that a national NHS board would be set up to ensure the health service delivers the Government’s agenda and passes on the multi-billion pound health budget.

Under this new arrangement, the eight LHBs, which will include Powys LHB, would be responsible for providing primary healthcare services, such as GP services and dentistry, in the community.

They would no longer be responsible for commissioning hospital-based services, ending criticism that they were too small and inexperienced to do that job.

NHS trusts would continue to provide hospital-based services.

Jonathan Morgan, the Welsh Conservatives’ Shadow Health Minister, said, “This is an embarrassing climbdown by the Assembly Government. Edwina Hart has been forced to try and repair the damage caused to the NHS by her colleague Jane Hutt. LHBs lack capacity and expertise. There are far too many of them in a country the size of Wales.

“We had five health authorities in Wales only five years ago. This announcement today takes us back towards that.”

But Dr Tony Calland, chairman of the British Medical Association’s Welsh Council, said, “LHBs have done a very good job dealing with local issues but the time has now come for the needs of the whole NHS to be addressed.

“This will mean less bureaucracy, less divisive competitiveness and more working together, looking at the needs of the whole population.”

A spokesperson for the Welsh NHS Confederation said, “We have received the consultation document and we will consult our members in the coming months to produce a full response to the proposals.

“We are keen to work with the Welsh Assembly Government to find the best way forward for the NHS in Wales.”