NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading

NHS London has released its assessment (pdf) of the risks associated with the government’s top-down reorganisation of the NHS, and it is not optimistic about the effect it will have on health in the capital.

Andrew-Lansley With regards to the overall introduciton of the major service changes, the document warns:

There is a risk that, during the transition to a new end-state for decision-making processes and accountability, there may be insufficient focus to deliver the necessary transformation at pace.

This applies both to existing changes that are agreed but not yet fully implemented and to proposed changes that will emerge over the remainder of 2011.

The consequence of this risk could be that the transformational changes in health services envisaged in London’s QIPP plans in response to the clear clinical case for change, may not be realised in full or are delayed, thereby undermining significant improvements in the health of Londoners.

Talking about “planning for and implementing the Government’s White Paper reforms”, it euphemistically concludes that:

The consequences of this risk could be patients receiving sub-optimal care.

The consequences of abolishing primary care trusts:

…could be that the quality of the commissioning of health care may be poor, both in securing the best health outcomes for London’s population and in maximising value for money.

Finally, and most shockingly, the document covers the risk to children that loss of expertise could lead to, and concludes:

The consequences of this may be preventable harm to children, damage to the reputation and loss of public confidence in NHS London and the NHS in London.

This risk assessment is the local version of the national document that the government have been fighting the information commissioner over.

As Baroness Thornton said in the Lords, regarding the attempt to secure a release of the NHS risk register:

“In 2008, Justine Greening MP used an appeal to the Information Commissioner to get the release of risk documentation relating to the Heathrow third runway. My own government did not cover itself in glory in this matter, refusing to part with the information for more than a year.

“But the key difference with runway three and now is that, of course, the third runway was not the subject of a very large piece of primary legislation that aimed to bring radical change to our NHS. The information we are being denied could be very relevant to our current deliberations.”

If the document they’ve released is this bad, how bad is the one they’re hiding?

See also:

• Sign my petition to drop Lansley’s monster – Dr Kailash Chand OBE, November 24th 2011

• How Tories wrecked the NHS (but learnt to love targets (too late)) – Alex Hern, November 17th 2011

• Like arthritis, Lansley’s NHS bill is attacking the very thing it should protect – Jos Bell, October 21st 2011

• UK Uncut: Stop the traffic to stop the NHS being run over – Tim Holmes, October 7th 2011

• Second reading of NHS bill offers a second chance to kill it – Alex Hern, October 6th 2011

http://twitter.com/macinpoole/status/139738143799783424 malcolm

RT @leftfootfwd: NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading http://t.co/zqLrOw9c
http://twitter.com/sertucyouth/status/139739053665951744 SERTUC Young Members

RT @leftfootfwd: EXPOSED: NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading, writes @AlexHern: http://t.co/oyoxy3n9
http://twitter.com/fauxpaschick/status/139739387226374144 fauxpaschick

NHS London has concerns that Lansley's plan is "undermining significant improvements in the health of Londoners." http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/cityalan/status/139752065017708545 Alan Simpson

NHS London's risk assessment says "The consequences of [Lansley's reforms] may be preventable harm to children": http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/cityalan/status/139752938607349760 Alan Simpson

NHS London has concerns that Lansley's plan is "undermining significant improvements in the health of Londoners." http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/staffsunison/status/139771072181567488 Staffordshire UNISON

EXPOSED: NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading, writes @AlexHern: http://t.co/KKz3e393 (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/boogieliz/status/139799481095954433 Lizzie Neilson

EXPOSED: NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading, writes @AlexHern: http://t.co/wZLw5PMG
http://twitter.com/clashcitywomble/status/139802233641508864 Andy Gritton

EXPOSED: NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading, writes @AlexHern: http://t.co/wZLw5PMG
http://twitter.com/shefanticuts/status/139805858744901633 Anti-Cuts Alliance

EXPOSED: NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading, writes @AlexHern: http://t.co/wZLw5PMG
http://twitter.com/jintyg51/status/139856541267402754 Janet Graham

EXPOSED: NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading, writes @AlexHern: http://t.co/KKz3e393 (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/bigagh/status/140380540841902080 AGH

Consequences may be preventable harm to children, damage to the reputation & loss of public confidence in NHS London http://t.co/utNMTM7X
http://twitter.com/pigreen/status/140383754895110144 david seddon

EXPOSED: NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading, writes @AlexHern: http://t.co/KKz3e393 (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/postpolionews/status/140477577415491584 Chris Salter

RT @leftfootfwd: NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading http://t.co/lyqaIKax #ppnews
http://twitter.com/jintyg51/status/140487156585086976 Janet Graham

RT @leftfootfwd: NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading http://t.co/lyqaIKax #ppnews
http://twitter.com/poutingpou/status/162146670119890944 Kyron Hodgetts

The consequences of top-down reorganisation of the NHS: "Preventable harm to children"
http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs
http://twitter.com/jphimister/status/162150023071674370 Joseph Burnett

The consequences of top-down reorganisation of the NHS: "Preventable harm to children"
http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs
http://twitter.com/seusssl/status/162150918610104320 seuss

The consequences of top-down reorganisation of the NHS: "Preventable harm to children"
http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs
http://twitter.com/soulcherry64/status/167219932155752448 amanda elliot

Under the last government, the NHS had record levels of approval #pmqs #savetheNHS http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/alan_199/status/167219955379605505 Alan199

The NHS's own risk assessment of the health reforms makes for scary reading #pmqs #savetheNHS http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/jeremydrew/status/167220742948274177 Jerry Drew

The NHS's own risk assessment of the health reforms makes for scary reading #pmqs #savetheNHS http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/jblresearch/status/167221544601399296 Dr John Lever

The NHS's own risk assessment of the health reforms makes for scary reading #pmqs #savetheNHS http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/jblresearch/status/167221902673330178 Dr John Lever

NHS assessment of Lansley’s plan’s risk makes for sober reading http://t.co/w4KQUVYm
http://twitter.com/tigercat1/status/167222895016288257 tigercat1

The NHS's own risk assessment of the health reforms makes for scary reading #pmqs #savetheNHS http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/ecoworriertoo/status/167224011749728256 hamish jefferson

The NHS's own risk assessment of the health reforms makes for scary reading #pmqs #savetheNHS http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/hrae85/status/167225988848156672 Holly Rae

The NHS's own risk assessment of the health reforms makes for scary reading #pmqs #savetheNHS http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/samanthaj494/status/167237671947743234 SJ

The NHS's own risk assessment of the health reforms makes for scary reading #pmqs #savetheNHS http://t.co/ZkXP0okD
http://twitter.com/tigercat1/status/167247130711425024 tigercat1

Left Foot Forward @leftfootfwd

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The NHS's own risk assessment of the health reforms makes for scary reading http://t.co/w6yVd6ZY…
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/02/the-government-continues-to-bury-the-risk-of-the-nhs-reforms/ The government continues to bury the risk of the NHS reforms | Left Foot Forward

[...] dangers are similar to those uncovered by Left Foot Forward when we revealed the contents of the London risk register: Talking about “planning for and implementing the [...]
http://twitter.com/cllrjamesdawson/status/172294660872605696 James Dawson

PM arguing that "you don't publish risk registers". Tell that to the rest of the NHS, who *have* to publish them: http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs
http://twitter.com/jezebelbutton/status/172297677613174784 Jezebel Button

PM arguing that "you don't publish risk registers". Tell that to the rest of the NHS, who *have* to publish them: http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs
http://twitter.com/kevinbolt/status/172298562393214978 Kevin Bolt

PM arguing that "you don't publish risk registers". Tell that to the rest of the NHS, who *have* to publish them: http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs
http://twitter.com/zephleppard/status/172299989224132609 James Leppard

PM arguing that "you don't publish risk registers". Tell that to the rest of the NHS, who *have* to publish them: http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs
http://twitter.com/cookiedisco/status/172311480241369088 Robert Cook

PM arguing that "you don't publish risk registers". Tell that to the rest of the NHS, who *have* to publish them: http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs
http://twitter.com/drmarielouise/status/172319446218719232 Marie-Louise Irvine

PM arguing that "you don't publish risk registers". Tell that to the rest of the NHS, who *have* to publish them: http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs
http://twitter.com/marcuschown/status/172321053895438336 Marcus Chown

PM arguing that "you don't publish risk registers". Tell that to the rest of the NHS, who *have* to publish them: http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs
http://twitter.com/yrotitna/status/172324243395198976 Yrotitna

PM arguing that "you don't publish risk registers". Tell that to the rest of the NHS, who *have* to publish them: http://t.co/ZkXP0okD #PMQs