The pace and scale of change in the NHS must be accelerated to improve care for patients, Monitor has claimed.
Monitor said there is a growing consensus about the fundamental changes required to achieve "nothing short of a complete redesign of how care is delivered in England."
Writing in the corporate strategy for 2014/17, Monitor said the challenge is to introduce changes "as swiftly as possible", faster than the NHS has previously been able to achieve.
The pace and scale of change in the NHS must be accelerated to improve care for patients, Monitor has claimed.
Monitor said there is a growing consensus about the fundamental changes required to achieve "nothing short of a complete redesign of how care is delivered in England."
Writing in the corporate strategy for 2014/17, Monitor said the challenge is to introduce changes "as swiftly as possible", faster than the NHS has previously been able to achieve.
Monitor's strategy identifies four themes that will lie at the heart of the regulator’s work over the next three years:
– Encouraging individuals and organisations to develop skills and capabilities.
– Supporting radical change while also managing the risks of failure.
– Ensuring the system’s rules operate in the best interests of patients.
– Working closely with partners, nationally and locally.
David Bennett, chief executive of Monitor, said: "If the NHS is to continue to deliver the universal health service to which we are all committed it needs to turbo-charge changes in the way health care is delivered to patients.
"In the short term that means improving quality and efficiency across the board so that all providers meet the standards of the best. And in the medium term it means redesigning how care is delivered, including inventing new models of care, so that we can provide quality care, with compassion, and make the money available to the NHS go as far as possible."
Dr Bennett added: "As the regulator we don’t deliver front-line care for patients. Our job is to support those who do – the nurses, doctors, carers, managers and many more who work inside and beyond the NHS. This means recognising and respecting the challenges they face every day and their commitment to do the best for their patients. Our philosophy is to do what we can to help all these people do the right thing for their patients."
Matt Tee, chief operating officer at the NHS Confederation, said: “We have previously voiced our concern about how proactive the NHS is when it comes to dealing with failure. The NHS Confederation welcomes the risk-based approach to regulation Monitor is taking so that it better supports organisations that are in danger of failing. Early intervention is necessary so that changes are planned to avoid them being crisis-driven. It is also important to remember that change affects the wider health economy, and not just the organisation in isolation, which is why the focus on whole system changes is welcomed.
“Provided that regulators such as Monitor are willing to support organisations before they reach a crisis, we will have a better chance of rising to the challenges facing the whole system. This is why our 2015 Challenge calls on both politicians to create the space for the change needed and local NHS organisations to be ready to make the essential changes.
“Our members would also support a renewed patient focus. Regulation can often be perceived to just be about outputs, evidence and audits, and we sometimes forget what regulators are trying to do – help organisations deliver better patient care.”
