King's Fund: Great deal to be done

There is still "a great deal to be done" before the benefits of NHS reforms made in 2000 are realised fully, according to the King's Fund.

The health thinktank claims that there is potential for patients to benefit from many of the reforms and that the NHS is currently at a "critical point" on the issue.

Anna Dixon, director of policy at the King's Fund, spoke out following a report by the Healthcare Commission and Audit Commission into progress in the NHS since 2000.

She said she agreed with the report's recommendations that greater effort is needed to improve the quality of commissioning.

"We also agree that much more work is needed to ensure the availability and quality of information about health care services," Ms Dixon commented.

"Better information will help patients make better choices, assist GPs in understanding where the best quality care can be had for their patients and, above all, help local primary care trusts have a better understanding of what health benefits they are getting for taxpayers' money."

She added: "Without such information about both public and private sector providers it will be impossible to judge whether the NHS reforms as a whole have been a success.

"The costs of the reform programme must be measured against the benefits that have been delivered. As the report highlights there are still big gaps in our understanding and we agree with today's report that a mandatory national data collection needs to be defined and implemented."