NHS report encourages third sector delivery of public services
Plans have been unveiled by leading surgeon and Health Minister Ara Darzi, to raise the quality of healthcare for patients right across the NHS.The report, Next stage for NHS: highest quality care for all, includes significant steps forward in third sector delivery of public services.
The report recommends implementing a wide ranging programme to support the development of vibrant, successful community health services. An important innovation in the report is that staff can continue to benefit from the NHS Pension Scheme where - in agreement with their Primary Care Trust - they have chosen to set up social enterprises to deliver NHS services. This overcomes a major barrier to the creation of nurse-led social enterprises.
The NHS will also encourage and enable staff to set up social enterprises by introducing a ‘staff right to request’ to set up social enterprises to deliver services.
This follows the Prime Minister’s recognition of the importance of third sector provision in his foreword to the recently published Cabinet Office report, Excellence and fairness: Achieving world class public services. He said:
“I believe that in the next decade we will see a growing role for independent public service providers, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. We have only just begun to harness the potential of these kinds of non-profit organisations and in the coming weeks we will set out how we can promote a new wave of innovation led by social enterprise."
Further details of Lord Darzi’s review can be found on the Department of Health website.
