Shake-up of Government bodies sees changes to pricing authority and counter fraud service
A shake-up of Department of Health “arm’s length” organisations was announced last week by Health Secretary John Reid. The move is expected
to save the Government £500m, which will be reinvested in front
line NHS staff.
The package of proposals, which are due to be brought in by 2008, will
see a reduction in the arm’s length organisations from 38 to 20
with staff cuts of 25 per cent.
The key changes that affect pharmacy are the abolition of the Prescription
Pricing Authority and the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service.
PPA responsibilities will pass to the new NHS Business Authority which
will be in charge of payments and transactions across the health service.
The new body will also include a fraud unit responsible for national
fraud issues and policy. The information analysis function of the PPA
will go to the new Health and Social Care Information Centre.
The existing NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) is to be transformed
and in future will have the power to commission services from the NHS
Business Authority. The new-look PASA will also be expected to help apply
NHS procurement best practice in order to generate more savings.
The reorganisation plans, outlined in a Department of Health document
entitled “Reconfiguring the Department of Health’s arm’s
length bodies”, also spells the end of the Health Development Agency.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will take on its functions
and in future will have the job of evaluating the cost-effectiveness
of public health interventions.
The roles and responsibilities of the National Patient Safety Agency,
which is described in the DoH report as a “trailblazer”,
are also being expanded (see Panel below).
NPSA role expanded
The NPSA will have a greater role to play in supporting NHS organisations
concerned about poorly performing doctors and dentists but
where intervention by the professional regulatory bodies is inappropriate.
The agency will also in future be responsible for keeping a
check
on hospital food and hygiene and safe building design.
Responsibility for the national confidential enquiries will
also be taken on by the NPSA and no longer be the remit of
NICE.
The agency will become the national focus for medical ethics.
It will in future support the development of ethics committees
which
review clinical trials and research and it will take over responsibility
for the Central Office of Research Ethics Committees from the DoH. |
The UK Public Health Association,
which represents public health interests, expressed some concern about
the decision to abolish the HDA. Its chairman
David Hunter warned: “It is vital that what emerges from the abolition
of the HDA is a new organisation and not NICE with public health bolted
on or confined to a silo.” |
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