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Speech by the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Health, 9 May 2008: Yorkshire Partnership Forum

Thanks for inviting me to speak to you today. I’m very pleased to be here at the first Yorkshire Partnership Forum. This is a really important event – more and more regional partnership forums are now taking place and I hope that other parts of the country follow your lead.

 The Partnership Agreement, published jointly by DH, the trade unions and NHS Employers in March last year, set out how we would work together to ensure that our staff were fully engaged through their trade unions and Royal Colleges in the important decisions that effect their working lives and more importantly able to contribute their enormous experience and expertise to those decisions.

Last July, I announced that there would be no more structural change in the NHS for the foreseeable future. No more reorganisations of primary care trusts, no more tampering with strategic health authorities. Instead, we would focus all of our attention on what motivates those who work in the NHS:- improving patient care, making the NHS, which is world class in so many respects, world class in every respect.

Today, we publish new operational guidance as part of Lord Darzi’s review. This guidance entitled “Changing for the Better” will ensure that any future changes to the NHS are based on five pledges:- 

1. Change will always be for the benefit of patients;
2. It will be clinically driven;
3. It will be locally led;
4. There will be full patient, public and staff involvement; and
5. Existing services will not be withdrawn until new and better services are available.

Next month, we will publish the final report of the NHS Next Stage Review which Ara Darzi has led so skilfully. Whilst the leadership is crucial the report is the culmination of a process that has been driven by health professionals – it’s involved thousands of nurses, doctors, healthcare professionals, patients and the public, in all parts of the country.  The strategic vision developed in each region of the country which will be published over the next few weeks are the essence of this review process.

We all know  the challenges we face in today’s NHS – rising levels of obesity, an ageing population and the pressing need to tackle health inequalities. These are national problems. But there is no national prescription that will solve them.

We cannot dictate from Whitehall, for example, how obesity can be best tackled in Hull, how health inequalities can be reduced in Sheffield, how health and social care professionals in Leeds should work together to give older people the support they need. These are issues for clinicians and patients to determine in an NHS that is clinically driven and locally led.

Why Partnership?

This is why partnership working is so important. It puts an authentic employee voice at the heart of the organisation. It forms a clear framework that enables trade unions, managers and staff to work together.

It helps us acknowledge where there are problems or differences in approach, but helps us manage these problems and differences constructively, and in a way that focuses remorselessly on improving services for patients.

The result is a better informed workforce, who feel engaged and empowered to do more for patients. This in turn leads to higher levels of motivation and commitment among staff, reduced sickness absence and increased productivity – all improvements that will be felt and appreciated by patients and their families.

National Social Partnership Forum

You are showing how this can work locally. But I would like to stress that this is not about the Department of Health prescribing advice to the NHS, which is never followed at the centre. We in Richmond House take our own medicine.

The National Social Partnership Forum, chaired by my colleague Ann Keen, provides excellent advice to my department – it is a valued critical friend and its contribution to the Next Stage Review has been invaluable. I believe that unions and employers have found it an equally productive process.

Conclusion

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the NHS – a year where we will celebrate its magnificent achievements and its dedicated staff. It is also the year when we consider how we equip the NHS to face the challenges of the next 60 years.

With so much at stake, it is vital that we are all able to enter into constructive dialogue on our future together. The voice of staff and patients must be at the heart of everything we do.

I’d like to thank you for all you’re doing in Yorkshire and the Humber. Given that its my own region  I blush delicately, every week as I hear of the enormous improvements you are making to the health and wellbeing of your patients and the incredible commitment and dedication of staff and managers at every level. Today’s event is yet another example of your innovative and forward looking approach.