NHS reforms a 'significant risk' to quality

The recently announced NHS reforms are a threat to the quality of the service the organisation provides.

That is according to NHS England chief executive Sir David Nicholson, who voiced his concerns in a letter to trust heads.

"There is significant risk during this transition period of a loss of focus on quality, financial and performance discipline as organisations and individuals go through change," he said.

It follows an announcement by the Lib Dem/Conservative coalition government that there is to be a dramatic shake up of the way the NHS is run.

This will see management bodies such as primary care trusts and strategic health authorities scrapped.

Instead, GPs will be handed a budget with the responsibility of purchasing care for their patients from hospitals.

The reforms are part of plans to secure £15 billion to £20billion of savings in the NHS by 2013.

Earlier this month, an investigation by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that at least 10,000 NHS staff, including doctors and nurses, could be axed as part of spending cuts.

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