NHS service improvement review published

The Department of Health has announced the publication of an NHS service improvement review. The review, written by Sir Ian Carruthers, was commissioned last October and designed to be a short assessment of the procedure and infrastructure related to service improvements in the health service.

A number of recommendations have been made in the report, including the need for reasons for change to be well articulated and the case for change to be robust, with adequate preparation for the process of change, including at pre-consultation, consultation and implementation stages.

Other proposals included the coordination of local proposals and the strengthening of communications to local stakeholders.

Sir Ian said: “Change can all too frequently lead to a loss of public confidence in service providers if the process is not managed carefully and stakeholders are not fully engaged as early as possible.”

He added that the target of any reform to health services must be the delivery of the best care possible in an efficient manner, issuing a warning against change for the sake of change.

Earlier this week, the Department of Health reported that 13 teams across the NHS had been recognised at the 2006 Health and Social Care awards held in London.