King’s Fund hails ‘promising’ new stance on NHS reforms

Leading healthcare thinktank The King's Fund has responded positively to new changes to NHS reform plans announced this week.

The organisation has welcomed news that the government is embracing a more "evolutionary" approach to implementing its planned reforms, with a focus on clinical commissioning and a scaled-back emphasis on competition.

Chris Ham, chief executive of The King's Fund, said the new proposals are "more promising" than those in the original Health and Social Care Bill, adding that he believes a new model of care is a necessary step to account for changes in patient demographics.

Despite this, he voiced lingering concern that the emphasis on minimising NHS waiting times may be difficult to back up, given the current limitations on hospital spending.

"As the government has said that it is opposed to targets, it now needs to be clear about how this pledge will be measured and enforced," he explained.

The British Medical Association has also reacted positively to the new NHS pledges, although it also believes further discussion is required to address pervading areas of concern.