OVERVIEW

The Health and Social Care Bill has sparked a huge amount of debate around the future of the NHS, and the planned reforms have been changed significantly following the government's listening exercise. There is now a particular commitment to integrated NHS services and the involvement of a wider range of staff in their design.

The reforms will see primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) abolished, with responsibility for commissioning being handed to GP-led groups, supported by a new national commissioning board, and local health and wellbeing boards. Nurses, specialist doctors and other clinicians will also be involved in making local decisions about the commissioning of care. The focus on locally run services, with commissioning groups and the health and wellbeing boards, moving away from top-down management, has been widely welcomed. This is considered to be a great opportunity to design and deliver services that truly integrate around individual patient needs.

Public Service Events' second annual NHS Reform conference will provide an excellent opportunity to examine the reform agenda and the controversies on the horizon of the developing landscape of the NHS.

The main priority for the NHS remains the unprecedented financial issues it is facing. Managing the transition – maintaining momentum whilst focusing on the £20bn of productivity gains demanded by the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) programme – is a major challenge. If patient care is to be maintained and improved, then it is critical to plan effectively for the years ahead, with shared ownership of the QIPP agenda from all key players in the system.

PCT Clusters have been established, responsible for maintaining the performance of NHS services throughout the transition. Much consideration is being given to the development of commissioning groups' capacity and skills, establishing ways to ensure clear transfer of responsibilities with strong governance from day one. Promoting integrated working and partnership between primary and secondary care and local authorities is extremely important: joining up services and building them around the needs of individuals will make for a better health service.

A particular area of concern in the proposals has been the move towards greater competition, with some suggesting that this is a step on the road to the privatisation of the NHS. Increasing choice by opening up the health service to more competition – encouraging the creation of social enterprises and mutuals through the 'Right to Provide' scheme, as well as further engagement with the private sector – is undoubtedly a controversial move, but there is good evidence to suggest that it could benefit NHS patients, securing greater choice. The question is how competition and cooperation can best be used as a tool for improving the quality of care and promoting integration.

At NHS Reform: managing the transition, an outstanding programme of expert speakers will discuss the above issues and more, offering delegates further insight into the changes and how best to manage them.