Organisational Changes within NHS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Organisational Changes within NHS - Essay Example It aims to promote health by best utilization of the resources, and is keen in introducing frameworks for vertical integration, elective factories, disease management, and APMS. (Integrated models, 2006) the support of the UK government in this regard has been through the introduction of a ten year modernization plan of NHS, (Department of Health, Quality in service, 1998) It would have been a much different picture had it been viewed around five years ago. NHS has been playing its part even before the 1940s, where it gave "universal coverage and overly effective cost containment". (Stevens, 2004) NHS had a very low per capita health in the year 2000, as opposed to Germany, USA, Canada and France. (OECD, 2003) The resulting infrastructure was weak, marked by less health care facilities, both in quality and quantity. Another motivation factor was the increased and high profile reporting of grave medical errors in the UK. (Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry Team, 2000) This was mainly found in the hospital sector with factors such as hospital performance data, increased cost of hospital care, and public interest in high tech medicine being the encouraging factors. (MN, 1999) In this regard, the role of primary care as a health care provider is becoming a new area for funding and development. (Roland et al, 1999) C The introduction of proposal to increase the NHS funding by the Blair administration since its election has markedly increased the standards of healthcare in the UK. Campbell (2005) has also given positive feedback on the state of development of health care in the UK. In his study regarding improvements in healthcare quality in general health care practice, he observes a rise in the status of health care from the years 1998-2003.(Campbell,2005). His study was based on the three major chronic health care services, i.e. chronic heart disease, asthma and Type II diabetes. He appreciates the role NHS has played in this regard. (Campbell, 2005) NHS has been lauded for achieving its goals regarding patient waiting lists, cardiac surgery or A and E, as well as many small innovations in improving the overall condition of the institution. (Transition arrangements in NHS, 2006) In line with promoting the developments taking place, the introduction of integration models is one sector actively pursued and evaluated. The models that have been suggested are hospital integration of primary health care and disease management, primary care integration to divide load of hospitals onto practices, localities or APMS providers, or medical group practice models. (Integrated models of health care delivery, 2006) The introduction of the afore mentioned contributions as well as suggestions for new systems all promise a further acceleration in the progress of health care facilities in the UK. It is therefore important to highlight these efforts so as to attain a better assessment of the progress carried out in this regard. The planning and implementation of the long term strategies comes under the care of the NSFs, or National Service Frameworks, part of the NHS. The NSFs plans "strategies and measurable goals within set time frames."(NSFs, 2006) NSF works in alliance with ERGs, or External Reference Groups, which combine the various aspects of health care