The new health and care system becomes fully operational from 1 April to deliver the ambitions set out in the Health and Social Care Act. NHS England, Public Health England, the NHS Trust Development Authority and Health Education England will take on their full range of responsibilities.
Locally, clinical commissioning groups – made up of doctors, nurses and other professionals – will buy services for patients, while local councils formally take on their new roles in promoting public health. Health and wellbeing boards will bring together local organisations to work in partnership and Healthwatch will provide a powerful voice for patients and local communities.
The role of the Department of Health in the new system
The Department of Health’s purpose is to help people live better for longer. We lead, shape and fund health and care in England, making sure people have the support, care and treatment they need, with the compassion, respect and dignity they deserve. The new and changing health and care organisations work together with the Department to achieve this common purpose.
We enable health and social care bodies to deliver services according to national priorities and work with other parts of government to achieve this. We set objectives and budgets and hold the system to account on behalf of the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State for Health has ultimate responsibility for ensuring the whole system works together to meet the needs of patients and the public and reflect their experiences.
What the changes to the health and care system mean for patients and local communities
Most people won’t notice any immediate difference to how they get the care they need: they will still contact their GP when unwell, or their local council with ongoing personal care needs, and they will continue to receive healthcare free at the point of need just as before. However, some important underlying changes are being made to how the health and care system is run.
These changes are about giving local communities and patients more say in the care they receive and doctors and nurses more freedom to shape services to meet people’s needs, to improve the quality of the support, care and treatment we all receive.
