Tories aim to be party of "better NHS"
Tuesday, 24 Jun 2008 00:02
David Cameron is set to unveil the Conservatives' health strategy
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A Conservative government would develop an NHS that focuses on patient experiences rather than targets, David Cameron will say today.
The Conservative party leader is to outline how the Tories would direct the NHS, pledging to make them not just the party of the NHS but "the party of a better NHS".
At a speech to the Royal College of Surgeons, Mr Cameron will say that a Conservative government would aim to improve cancer, stroke, heart disease and lung disease survival rates so that they are better than EU averages.
His party would also aim to improve patient outcomes, satisfaction and experiences and to reduce adverse events.
Mr Cameron will accuse Labour of creating "bureaucratic, top-down process targets" and say how his party's green paper would allow medical professionals to "focus on the result itself, not how it is achieved".
"I want us to be the party of a better NHS [and this] means being clear about how we'll get there," Mr Cameron is to say.
"No more pointless re-organisations - just building and improving. No more top-down process targets - but an information revolution to measure outcomes.
"No more talking about patient power - but actually giving it to them, through greater accountability. That's the way we can create a health service that is truly the envy of the world."