Chair’s comment: Health and Care Bill

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said,

‘We are pleased to see the publication of the Health and Care Bill.  We feel it was right to proceed with the legislation so we can progress arrangements for integrated care systems and collaborative working at local level. 

The emphasis on system collaboration with the establishment of ICS and removal of a number of the competition requirements are all the right direction of travel. They support cooperation and move away from the fragmentation which undermines the successful and smooth delivery of the best patient care. 

We hope the Bill will also provide an opportunity to establish a transparent system for workforce planning.

There will still be issues to resolve in terms of the relationship between Government/DHSC and the NHS and the detail of the Bill will need to be considered carefully.

It must, of course, be recognised that legislation by itself is not sufficient to change the way the system works. That depends on behaviours, relationships and attitudes at local and national level. But it does provide the framework for moving the service forward to deliver better, seamless care for patients and the public.’