The Conservatives have pledged to cut administration in the NHS by a third, publish staff performance data, and link GPs’ pay to the quality of their work.
Unveiling the party’s draft NHS manifesto, David Cameron promised administration in the NHS would be slashed under the Conservatives by devolving more powers to patients and removing the layers of bureaucracy that had built up in the service.
To reduce the administrative burden on NHS staff, the Conservatives said they would “scrap all of the politically motivated process targets that stop health professionals doing their jobs properly”.
The party also promised to “unleash an information revolution” in the NHS by making detailed data about the performance of GPs, doctors and other staff available on the internet.
Under a Conservative government, GPs would also be given the responsibility of controlling patients’ budgets and commissioning care on their behalf. But to ensure GP standards were maintained, the quality of their work would be directly linked to their pay.
The Tories have also pledged to introduce a new dentistry contract that will tie newly-qualified dentists into the NHS for five years, while the party will remove legislation preventing welfare-to-work providers and employers from purchasing services from mental health trusts.
David Cameron said: “These plans are not timid. They cannot be. The problems of today demand more. They demand real change – and that can’t come soon enough.”
The Tories also intend to rename the Department of Health the Department of Public Health.
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