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Cameron urges NHS 'independence' Cameron wants 'independent' NHS
(about 3 hours later)
Conservative leader David Cameron is to call for politicians to be taken out of the day-to-day running of the NHS. David Cameron says he wants to take the running of the NHS out of the hands of politicians and make health service workers more accountable.
Last week he told the Tory conference the health service would be his number one priority if he was prime minister. The Conservative leader has called on Tony Blair to back his plans for an independent NHS, saying it should not be treated like a "political football".
And in a speech to think-tank the King's Fund, Mr Cameron is expected to say he will be seeking cross-party support for a NHS Independence Bill. He says a Tory government would ensure a rise in NHS spending, but argues that a "new direction" is needed.
Chancellor Gordon Brown has also said he would consider devolving control of the health service as PM. Gordon Brown recently said he wanted more independence for the NHS.
But Mr Cameron will insist he and shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley came up with similar calls for more independence in February. 'Social responsibility'
'Central control' But Mr Cameron says he and shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley first came up with their proposals in February.
Mr Lansley said the Conservatives' call for all-parties to back their bill was a "realistic" prospect.
"It's become more realistic as it has become more obvious," he told BBC News 24.
"And the government are simply not able to deliver the changes to the National Health Service that are required with a structure of targets and central control.
"Gordon Brown has more or less admitted as much, although he was the person who was so much in favour of targets and wanted to block freedom for foundation hospitals in the past."
Mr Lansley said Mr Cameron had put aside party differences earlier this year to back Tony Blair's education bill and he called on Labour to do the same with the Tories' new NHS bill.
"In the interests of the National Health Service, on this occasion, it is we who are taking the initiative and I hope that Mr Blair and Mr Brown, if they are realistic about giving the NHS the opportunity to succeed, they will join us and support our bill," he said.
Patients' needs
Last week Mr Cameron told the Conservatives' annual conference the NHS was his top priority - deliberately echoing Tony Blair's focus on education ahead of the 1997 general election.
Mr Cameron will further outline Conservative principles on the NHS during a visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
Let's work together to improve the NHS for everyone David CameronLet's work together to improve the NHS for everyone David Cameron
The proposed Independence Bill would aim to set a statutory framework to take politicians out of the day-to-day running of the NHS by the time of the health service's 60th anniversary in 2008. In a speech to the King's Fund think-tank, Mr Cameron said he wanted to move away from "micromanagement" of healthcare towards "greater professional responsibility for those who work in the NHS".
"It would give the NHS the best possible 60th birthday present," Mr Cameron will say. Last week Mr Cameron told the Conservatives' annual conference the NHS was his top priority - deliberately echoing Tony Blair's focus on education ahead of the 1997 general election.
"So my message to the government is clear: The NHS matters too much to be treated like a political football. Mr Cameron says he plans to publish an NHS Independence Bill in the New Year to "take politicians out of the day to day running of the NHS".
"Let's work together to improve the NHS for everyone. 'Fair-funding' needed
"Let's give the NHS fair funding, and let's give taxpayers better value for money by getting rid of the targets and bureaucracy and pen-pushing that's all about politicians' priorities, not the needs of patients." He said he hoped the bill would command cross-party support, and if implemented by spring 2008, would "give the NHS the best possible 60th birthday present".
"So my message to the government is clear: the NHS matters too much to be treated like a political football," Mr Cameron told the King's Fund.
He said giving greater independence to NHS professionals would "not mean a blank cheque".
Patients' voice
But he said it would "strengthen accountability because professionals in the NHS will be more clearly accountable for the things they're responsible for, and for raising standards".
He insisted that "instead of imposing change insensitively from above", the Tories want to work with doctors, nurses, ancillary staff and administrators to achieve "sustainable, bottom-up improvement".
Setting out how the new system would work, Andrew Lansley said the Tories wanted to create an NHS board, responsible for allocating resources, commissioning services and increasing standards of care.
There would be an economic regulator licensing providers, promoting competition and safeguarding financial propriety.
And patients would be giving a strong independent voice in "Healthwatch", which would be able to intervene through the regulator if services are failing.
Support call
The Tories are also publishing the interim findings of their policy group on the health service, which follows widespread consultation with healthcare professionals.
Mr Lansley told BBC News 24 Mr Cameron had put aside party differences earlier this year to back Tony Blair's education bill and he called on Labour to do the same with the Tories' NHS Independence bill.
"In the interests of the National Health Service, on this occasion, it is we who are taking the initiative and I hope that Mr Blair and Mr Brown, if they are realistic about giving the NHS the opportunity to succeed, they will join us and support our bill," he said.