Government publishes plans for radical NHS overhaul

The government has published details of its plans for a major overhaul of the NHS in England.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley reiterated prime minister David Cameron's recent claim that modernisation is a necessity in order to meet rising demands on services.

Under the plans, all of England's primary care trusts and strategic health authorities will be scrapped and GPs will take on responsibility for commissioning services to suit their local patients.

The government claims that the measures outlined in the bill will save the NHS more than five billion pounds by 2014-15 and a further 1.7 billion pounds every year after that, via reduced bureaucracy and fewer management staff.

"This is the start of a cultural shift to a patient-centred NHS. The proposals set out today in the health and social care bill will strengthen the NHS for the future," said Mr Lansley.

Sir David Nicholson, chief executive of the NHS, conceded that the plans represent a "major challenge", but insisted that he is "confident" they can be achieved.