Health Minister Unclear on Streamlined Commissioning

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 28th Sep 2006

The Health Minister announced at the Assembly's Health Committee this morning that he is examining ways of streamlining the commissioning of specialist health care.

Responding to this announcement the Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson Jenny Randerson said "The Minister must be much clearer on the direction he intends to follow. He says that this will involve no new bureaucracy, yet it is clear that the LHB commissioning staff will now be expected to work at a regional level. Is he creating another new body to commission healthcare?

"There have clearly been problems with 22 Local Health Boards each separately commissioning hospital services. Some of them have not had the expertise to do so and there is the ever-present danger that neighbouring Local Health Boards can make contradictory decisions within the same Trust. Many Local Health Boards are already working together to overcome this.

"Now the Minister appears to be putting in place a 'Higher Authority' to take over their secondary commissioning powers, but he has failed to be clear about this.

"There are strong arguments in favour of commissioning hospital services on a regional basis. However Brian Gibbons' announcement is an unsatisfactory 'half way house' and he needs to make it clear where responsibility will lie in the future. He must also avoid yet more NHS bureaucracy."