Sir David Nicholson believes hospitals will have to shrink or close to offer patients better care.
In an article written for The Telegraph, the outgoing chief executive of NHS England warned that services should be centralised, and urged politicians not to stand in the way of changes that could be controversial.
He called for a smaller number of larger hospitals to offer major surgeries, with smaller hospitals ceasing many of the services currently provided.
Sir David Nicholson believes hospitals will have to shrink or close to offer patients better care.
In an article written for The Telegraph, the outgoing chief executive of NHS England warned that services should be centralised, and urged politicians not to stand in the way of changes that could be controversial.
He called for a smaller number of larger hospitals to offer major surgeries, with smaller hospitals ceasing many of the services currently provided.
According to Sir David (pictured), the system has evolved in a way which is “fragmented and confusing” for patients.
He wrote: “I believe the NHS needs to embark on a programme of transformational change to front-line care, arguably the most significant since its creation.”
Sir David did clarify that the changes he was calling for differ from the reorganisation of last year’s Health and Social Care Act.
While that focused on “administrative structures”, he feels the next changes “must focus on the practical ways we deliver frontline care in our communities”.
He wrote: “These next changes… must be recommended, led and built by clinicians on behalf of patients, from the bottom up rather than the top down.”
The full article is available to view on The Telegraph website [paywalled].
