Our NHS, Our Future

To all Network Co-ordinators,

The DH have asked NHS Networks to help them in disseminating information about Our NHS, Our Future (aka the NHS Next Stage Review aka the Darzi Report) to as many NHS staff and users as possible.

We have been asked to send you all this letter and report summary from Lord Darzi, which you are encouraged to forward to – or bring to the attention of – your members.

More information on the Darzi Report, and the interim report itself, can be found at www.ournhs.nhs.uk

Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish networks – obviously this doesn’t apply to you so please delete this.

Best,

Mike Simpson

Website Editor, NHS Networks

www.networks.nhs.uk

0116 222 1423

mike.simpson@networks.nhs.uk

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Bike to work? Join Spokes, the NHS Cycling Network

www.networks.nhs.uk/spokes

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From: Professor Ara Darzi [mailto:news@nhs.net]
Sent: 30 October 2007 10:46
To: catherine.coe@nhs.net
Subject: Update from Minister for Health on the future direction of the NHS

Dear Colleague

As many of you will know, over the last three months I have been travelling the country to

seek the views of health and social care staff as part of the Our NHS, our future Review.

Unfortunately, I can’t get around to see all of you in person, so I thought it would be helpful to

send you a quick update on the review, and I have included below a summary of the interim

report that I published on the 4th October.

The report is based on what I have heard to date from staff, the public, patients and

stakeholder organisations.

It makes the point that the NHS has vastly improved over the past ten years, thanks to the

commitment and hard work of people like you, while acknowledging there are some

immediate issues that people have told us we need to tackle.

Most importantly, it sets out the emerging vision for the future: to develop an NHS that is

relentlessly focused on delivering the highest quality of care for all. Care that is fair,

personalised to individual needs, effective and safe.

If you’d like to read the full report, please visit www.nhs.uk/ournhs .

We are now entering the next and most important stage of the review: developing the vision

into a meaningful set of plans for the future. This is where your contribution is more important

than ever!

We need NHS and social care staff to get actively involved if we are to achieve this vision.

I stress, and my Ministerial colleagues support this, that this is not about imposing change from

the centre.For us all to take the NHS forward, and to improve our services, the NHS needs to involve its entire staff better than it has in the past.

I agree with what many of you have told me as I’ve visited NHS and social care teams across

the country: effective change should be led by clinicians and should driven by the needs of

local communities.

Thank you to those of you who have contributed your views so far. I hope many more of you

will get involved, whether through the clinical working groups and consultative events that will

be happening in your area, or by sending me your views. You can find out more about

how to have your say from our website www.nhs.uk/ournhs .

With best wishes

Professor Ara Darzi

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State