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Tories aim to scrap NHS targets Tories aim to scrap NHS targets
(1 day later)
David Cameron is to announce plans to scrap many of the government's health targets including those on waiting times, the BBC has learned. Conservative leader David Cameron is to announce plans to scrap many of the government's health targets including those on waiting times.
The Tory leader is to unveil the first details of his health policy on Monday. Instead he will outline plans to set new objectives to measure the effectiveness of treatments and the health of patients afterwards.
He will outline plans to set new objectives to measure the effectiveness of treatments and the health of patients afterwards. He also wants doctors to have greater control over budgets and priorities.
He also wants to give doctors greater responsibility for their own budgets and priorities. Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said "one-size fits all targets isn't the right way forward".
'Health results' He added, on BBC One's Politics Show: "The NHS should be measuring the overall outcome. And for cancer patients, for example, five-year survival rates is the way to do it.
The Conservatives say the problem with many of the government's targets is that they simply measure whether patients are treated quickly enough. "Narrowing in on how long people wait for specific treatments is actually distorting the whole process. "
They want to set new objectives on survival or recovery rates for serious illnesses.
Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell, who heads the group which helped draw up the policy, said patients would benefit from the new targets.Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell, who heads the group which helped draw up the policy, said patients would benefit from the new targets.
"We have endless forms about process and insufficient focus on the health results that the NHS exists to deliver and it is that focus that we are seeking to shift away from process towards health outcomes," he said."We have endless forms about process and insufficient focus on the health results that the NHS exists to deliver and it is that focus that we are seeking to shift away from process towards health outcomes," he said.
Dr Hamish Meldrum of the British Medical Association's GPs committee said he would welcome measures to assess how well patients are treated but added he wanted to know more about how the Conservative policy would work.Dr Hamish Meldrum of the British Medical Association's GPs committee said he would welcome measures to assess how well patients are treated but added he wanted to know more about how the Conservative policy would work.