Transition to reformed health system ‘mostly successful’

The transition to the reformed health system was mostly implemented successfully, it has been claimed.

According to the National Audit Office, while the new groups were ready to begin operations on April 1st 2013, not all of them were performing as expected.

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, commented: "It is a considerable achievement that the new organisations were ready to start work on time. This could not have been accomplished without the commitment and effort of many NHS staff."

It was determined, however, that there is still much work to do before the transition is completed, with certain parts of the system being much less ready than others.

The reforms to the system have been the most complex since the creation of the NHS, with more than 240 new bodies opened and over 170 older ones closed. Numerous major challenges were faced by the health service and the Department of Health throughout, with getting staff in place perhaps posing the biggest obstacle.