Lord Ara Darzi: No change for change's sake

The surgeon and health minister leading the government's review of planned reforms to the NHS has insisted the programme is "not about change for change's sake".

Eminent clinician Lord Ara Darzi has unveiled five pledges to patients and healthcare professionals ahead of the next report on NHS reform.

He said the nature of healthcare meant services would continually need to evolve and that the public supported the need for reform.

"Our nationwide listening events have shown me that patients, the public and NHS staff are not opposed to change in principle but want to ensure it is done to save lives and improve quality and is not driven by cost or politics," Lord Darzi explained.

"These pledges mean change will be locally-led, clinically-driven and evidence-based. And an independent high clinical bar for change should reassure local people everywhere that we mean what we say."

Lord Darzi's pledges say change will benefit patients; be clinically driven; locally-led; and involve patients and carers.