Statement by Dr Peter Nightingale, President of the RCoA on the White Paper ‘Liberating the NHS’

'The White Paper presents an opportunity for the NHS to set its objectives firmly on improving the quality of patient care rather than scoring against targets.

The Royal College of Anaesthetists particularly welcomes the shift in emphasis away from organisational bureaucracy to individual care.

Healthcare providers have endured many years of change initiatives. We sincerely hope this paper provides the strategy for clinicians to provide timely and high-quality care. This devolution of power, from Whitehall to those directly involved in patient care, should deliver improved services as long as healthcare professionals are appropriately resourced.

We must accept this freedom and take responsibility, with its associated accountability, for the delivery of care that we design, and value, well into the future.’

13 Jul 2010