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Tories promise NHS targets revamp Tories promise NHS targets revamp
(about 7 hours later)
The Tories are to outline plans aimed at making the NHS more accountable to patients, with the intention of saving thousands of lives a year in England. Focusing on survival rates instead of waiting times would save thousands of lives, Conservative leader David Cameron says.
He said his party would scrap the government's "top-down" approach to NHS targets and instead focus on major diseases such as cancer and stroke.
Traditionally ministers have relied on process targets, such as waiting times, to drive health service improvement.Traditionally ministers have relied on process targets, such as waiting times, to drive health service improvement.
Leader David Cameron is to unveil a policy paper which says survival rates in areas such as cancer and heart disease are "what really matters". But ministers said their targets had helped to transform the health service.
Health minister Ann Keen said the plans threatened NHS services people want. CONSERVATIVE TARGETS Five-year survival rates for cancer in excess of EU averages by 2015Premature mortality from stroke and heart disease below EU averages by 2015Premature mortality from lung disease below EU averages by 2020Year-on-year improvement in patient-reported outcomes for patients living with long-term conditionsYear-on-year improvement in patients' satisfaction with their access to, and experiences of, healthcareYear-on-year reduction in the number of adverse events class="" href="/1/hi/health/7471144.stm">Analysis: Conservative plans
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/default.stm">More from Today programme In a speech to the Royal College of Surgeons, the Tory leader said his party would focus on "what really matters to people".
The Conservatives' paper will outline a range of areas of focus, including the biggest killers cancer and heart disease. He said the Tories would look to improve five-year cancer survival in excess of the EU average by 2015.
Mr Cameron is expected to say that a Tory government would look to improve five-year cancer survival in excess of the EU average by 2015. And he added premature death from stroke and heart disease would be brought below the EU average by 2015 and for lung disease by 2020.
Death rates for stroke, heart disease and lung disease will also be targeted. Mr Cameron said this would be underpinned by providing data on the outcomes to patients so they could compare hospitals.
The Tory leader will also attack Labour's use of targets, saying they have worsened productivity, wasted money and distorted clinical priorities. And he added achieving average European standards in a host of disease areas could save 38,000 lives, while performing at the highest levels could save 100,000 lives.
The Tory leader also attacked Labour's use of targets, saying they had worsened productivity, wasted money and distorted clinical priorities at a time when more and more money had been pumped into the health service.
Many of the targets have focused on waiting times for things such as A&E and elective surgery.Many of the targets have focused on waiting times for things such as A&E and elective surgery.
Mr Cameron will say the system of "top-down NHS targets is failing the NHS and failing patients" and by focusing on outcomes and providing that information to patients the NHS will become much more effective. But Mr Cameron said: "We still have some of the worst health outcomes in the whole of Europe.
Achieving average European standards in the disease areas they aim to focus on could save 38,000 lives, while performing at highest levels could save 100,000 lives, the Tories believe. "Right now, England's near the bottom of the table when it comes to five-year cancer survival rates.
Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Health Secretary, said: "We all know that the NHS has been focused on processed targets, dictated by politicians, where there isn't any evidence base and where the result of it has been, throughout the NHS, high levels of bureaucracy, distortion to clinical priorities and poorer services for patients than would otherwise be the case. FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/default.stm">More from Today programme
"So what we're going to focus on is the outcomes for patients." "And it's awful that you're more likely to die from a stroke in England than you are in any other country in western Europe.
"So we've got a situation where we pump the same money into our health system as other countries, but on the thing that actually matters - a patient's health and the results of their actual treatment - we're doing worse."
Moving awayMoving away
However, the Tory policy comes as the government has already started moving away from waiting targets.However, the Tory policy comes as the government has already started moving away from waiting targets.
I think everyone now agrees it is the right time to move away from the traditional targets Professor John Appleby, of the King's Fund To be fair to the NHS, it has already recognised that it needs to move on from an exclusive focus on centrally imposed targets Niall Dickson, of the King's Fund
The 18-week hospital treatment target for the end of the year is the last of its kind.The 18-week hospital treatment target for the end of the year is the last of its kind.
And from next year the government is looking to measure patient outcomes, starting with analysing how well people recover from a host of elective operations such as hip replacements.And from next year the government is looking to measure patient outcomes, starting with analysing how well people recover from a host of elective operations such as hip replacements.
Professor John Appleby, chief economist of the King's Fund health think tank, said: "I think everyone now agrees it is the right time to move away from the traditional targets. Niall Dickson, chief executive of the King's Fund, said: "The Conservatives are right that what matters to patients is whether their quality of life has improved following surgery or any other procedure rather than whether top-down targets have been met."
"Outcomes are being looked at, but the problem is that you cannot say what the NHS is responsible for, as other factors such as lifestyle and genetics play an important role." But he added: "To be fair to the NHS, it has already recognised that it needs to move on from an exclusive focus on centrally imposed targets towards measuring health outcomes."
Ms Keen said the Tory plans were "inconsistent. Nigel Edwards, policy director of the NHS Confederation which represents 95% of NHS organisations, said: "The NHS Confederation has been arguing for a big shift towards measures based on patient satisfaction and quality of outcomes for some time and this document contains a number of very sensible policies to take the NHS forward."
"David Cameron will tell anyone in the NHS what he thinks they want to hear - whether it is patients, GPs or NHS staff," she said. Health minister Ann Keen said the Tory plans were "inconsistent".
"David Cameron will tell anyone in the NHS what he thinks they want to hear - whether it is patients, GPs or NHS staff.
"Having opposed extra investment in the NHS, the Tories are now opposing reform that is helping to improve patient care."Having opposed extra investment in the NHS, the Tories are now opposing reform that is helping to improve patient care.
"The Tories are proposing an end to longer GP opening hours; scrapping guarantees that have shortened waiting times; and cuts on a scale that would put NHS investment at risk." "The Tories are proposing an end to longer GP opening hours, scrapping guarantees that have shortened waiting times and cuts on a scale that would put NHS investment at risk."
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