The Conservatives on Wednesday published their plans for the National Health Service, calling for an independent board for the NHS, scrapping of national targets and removal of direct provision of services by primary care trusts, along with greater powers for local government to hold the NHS to account.
Family doctors should be given real budgets with which to commission NHS care and foundation trusts should be allowed to borrow more freely, the party said, although it has yet to find a mechanism that would permit this. In addition, healthcare providers – both public and private – should be allowed to compete on price.
