At a time when the NHS is living through the most serious challenge in its history, along comes the biggest shake-up of the health service in more than a decade. The government’s Integration and Innovation white paper, published in February, is the first serious attempt to unwind the reforms of the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, which was marshalled by the then health secretary Andrew Lansley.
The proposals have provoked fierce debate about the future of the NHS and the best way forward. However, there is almost universal agreement that the Lansley reforms were a costly mistake, bringing disaggregated leadership and the chaos of competition. Roy Lilley, health policy analyst and former chairman of an NHS trust, described the white paper as a “40-page Tory apology to the NHS for screwing it up”.
As for the timing, the BMA medical union said the proposed reorganisation must not be rushed through at a time when staff are “physically and emotionally exhausted”, with the NHS still under enormous pressure in the fight against COVID-19.