Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Doctors for Reform say....................

The NHS cannot meet public expectations today. It is highly unlikely that it will meet them tomorrow. Future generations will seek rapid access to care, greater choice and more information about their treatment. We need a healthcare system which is equal to rapidly rising costs and demand, and which enables professionals to retain the essential bond of trust with their patients.

The time has come to look at new ways to supply and fund healthcare. We believe that these core principles should underpin reform:


The fundamental NHS principle of care being universally and equitably available must remain.
The primacy of the doctor-patient relationship, which politicians have undermined, must be restored.
Management and administration must be more effective.
Politicians must be removed from the day-to-day running of the health service.
Patients must be able to exercise real informed choice about where, how and by whom they are treated.

There needs to be a proper and informed national debate on the choices ahead of us. The issues are beyond party politics and we believe that, as professionals, we will make a profound mistake if we leave this debate to politicians.