Department of Health NHS White Paper consultations

Consultation closed

The White Paper, ‘Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS’, published earlier this year, sets out this Government’s ambition to achieve healthcare outcomes that are among the best in the world. It sets out proposals for a radical new approach that puts people in the driving seat, putting them in charge of making decisions about their health and care. It also sets out a commitment to giving people more information and control and greater choice about their care. 
 
To inform the White Paper’s proposals, The Department of Health is jointly publishing its consultations:

• Liberating the NHS: An Information;and
• Revolution Liberating the NHS: Greater choice and control

The Department of Health need to know how people think this huge task should be approached, so they can start making shared decision-making a reality.

The views of the general public are being sought

The views of the general public are being sought, as are the views of the NHS and care professionals, patients, service users, their families and carers.
 
A revolution for patients will not be possible without the support and involvement of health and care professionals. Choice and shared decision-making ought to be the rule not the exception. Access to a range of information to support choice, and a presumption of openness and transparency should be everyday practice.
 
The primary use of information is to support the giving of high quality care. The most important source of data is therefore the patient or service user’s care record, with data recorded once at the point of care. This can then be used to generate a wealth of high quality information that, in turn, gives people real knowledge and choice.   
Clinicians and care professionals should continue to play an active role in developing information solutions that are safe, that work for people and that help improve outcomes.

The Department of Health would very much welcome your views.  The relevant documents can be found in the related downloads section below.