NHS Reorganisation

Widening SHA areas to a regional authority area would resolve some serious anomalies. In my area of west Lancashire, for instance, PCTs are responsible to the Cumbria and Lancashire SHA, while the hospitals are responsible to the Cheshire and Merseyside SHA, which is an absolute nonsense. The reality is that the challenge for the Government is to make PCTs big enough to be strong commissioners and for there to be a tension in the system, and small enough to be absolutely responsive to the needs of local areas. The size of an organisation should not be easily dismissed.