The Health Service Journal has reported that Sir David Dalton, who is currently leading a review into hospital reforms, has written to the Health Secretary to update him on the review’s progress. In his letter, he stated that any new organisational models would have to be driven by the providers and the sector themselves and not by the centre, which should limit its role in creating an environment that allows for change. Sir David believes that the current system does not offer sufficient incentives to NHS leaders to be actively involved in shaping the system, to move from “just being stewards of their organisations to becoming strategic architects of their system”, while uncertainty around the legal operational system is, in his view, hampering reform. The review’s key aim is to examine how providers that perform well could “do more” to assist under-performing ones.
