Government commits to work with OTs in the next stage of NHS reforms
Simon Burns MP, Minister of State for Health has written to Chief executive Julia Scott following the recent meeting at the Department of Health. The minister appreciated the “frank and honest discussion” and the robust points that COT put forward regarding the Health and Social Care Bill.
COT goes head to head with Simon Burns MP to discuss Health and Social Care Bill
The College of Occupational Therapist’s Chief Executive Julia Scott, and Gregory Stafford, Public Affairs and Government Relations Manager met with Simon Burns MP, Minister of State for Health in a one to one session on the Health and Social Care Bill on 15 March.
BAOT/COT presses Prime Minister for response to concerns about Health and Social Care Bill
The British Association and College of Occupational Therapists has written to the Prime Minister to reiterate that BAOT/COT does not support the Health and Social Care Bill in its current form. BAOT/COT previously outlined concerns about the Bill in a letter to Secretary of State Andrew Lansley MP (10 February 2012), in particular, drawing attention to the absence of Allied Health Professionals from the Clinical Commissioning Groups.
AHPF Letter to Prime Minister David Cameron 9 February 2012
Allied Health Professions Federation writes to Prime Minister withholding support from the Health and Social Care Bill
The Allied Health Professions Federation, representing the 12 allied health professional bodies*, has been concerned from the outset with some of the reforms to the NHS implicit in the Health and Social Care Bill, and associated implementation plans. Today, the Federation has written to the Prime Minister, stating that it is unable to support the Bill in its current form. The concerns centre on:
“We do not support the Health and Social Care Bill in its current form”
BAOT/COT Statement on the Health and Social Care Bill in England: 'We have continued to negotiate with the Government, in collaboration with the Allied Health Professions Federation (AHPF), for occupational therapists and their AHP colleagues to sit on Clinical Commissioning Groups, alongside nursing and secondary care colleagues. We are extremely disappointed that our concerns have not been listened to and that AHPs are notably absent from this process, in spite of Government promises to put clinicians in the driving seat of NHS reform.
Amendments to Health and Social Care Bill published
The Government has tabled a series of amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill in advance of its Report Stage in the House of Lords, which begins next week. Health Minister Earl Howe has tabled a number of amendments that reaffirm the Government’s commitment to putting patients at the heart of the NHS and handing power to GPs and nurses.
Alongside the amendments, the Department of Health has also published a set of briefing notes. The amendments include:
Health Select Committee Chair warns of cuts to ‘non-priority services’ such as Occupational Therapy
The committee, chaired by Conservative former health secretary Stephen Dorrell, reported that government's plans to reorganise the NHS in England are hindering efforts to cut costs by "salami-slicing" services for short-term savings.
Promote the profession during a time of change
It incorporates much of the legislation needed to enact the changes as set out in the NHS White Paper: Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS and the corresponding consultations. The white paper aims to shift decision making as close as possible to patients and bring together the management of care and resources. Major changes include:
Greater Choice and Control is the latest in a number of consultations stemming from the Health White Paper
The proposals envisage a presumption of greater choice and control over care and treatment, choice of any willing healthcare provider, wherever relevant and choice of treatment and healthcare provider becoming the reality in the vast majority of NHS-funded services by no later than 2013/14. The proposals explore what extending choice could mean and how it could work in practice, using case studies to show what choice could look like. It also asks for views on whether the proposed choices are the ones that people would want.
