ANDREW Lansley, the new British Health Secretary, has outlined the coalition government's plans for health and social care and revealed that a new independent commission will be set up to provide advice on the future funding of long-term care. Personal budgets will be rolled out to older and disabled people, while direct payments to carers will be increased. The government also wants to improve community-based provision to improve access to respite care. The NHS will also be reformed to improve patient outcomes, Mr Lansley said. He said the vision was for a healthcare system which achieved outcomes that were amongst the best in the world, and free from day-to-day political interference. He promised to cut bureaucracy and hand back power to clinicians and patients to ensure they were at the forefront of decision-making about NHS services. Mr Lansley insisted that the proposals would "drive up standards of care, eliminate waste and lead to better outcomes".

Netdoctor.co.uk, 24 May 2010