Grenades are seldom expected – yet Andrew Lansley knew that one was going to fall
into his lap this morning. The Health Select Committee has today released its much trumpeted report
on the government’s plans for NHS commissioning. In normal circumstances its dry take on an even drier subject would evade public notice. As it is, with the coalition rocking and reeling as they
are, this is fissile stuff. It is yet another voice in the chorus of opposition to Lansley’s reforms.
The report’s recommendations are plural, but one stands out: that the government should drop its plans for GP consortia, and instead create “local commissioning boards” that involve not just GPs, but also nurses, social care workers, an elected member of the local authority, public health figures, and so on. The main reason given for this is one of effectiveness: only when their expertise is combined will local health pros be able to win out against the health service’s centralising bias.
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