RCN welcomes NHS Commissioning Board patient pledge

Published: 18 December 2012

The Royal College of Nursing has welcomed plans to improve the information available to patients in England.

The comments came as Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013/14 was published by the NHS Commissioning Board today (18 December).

The board has pledged to "drive a revolution for patients", offering more information about quality of care and giving them greater control of their health. Its new planning guidance aims to help local clinicians deliver more responsive health services, focused on improving outcomes for patients.

Dr Peter Carter, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, said the plan was a way to foster greater openness and transparency in the NHS.

He added: “These new plans should empower patients, giving them more information to make important decisions about their care.

"We’re particularly pleased to see guidelines on reducing ambulance handover times as this has been an area of concern in the past and it’s encouraging to see a zero tolerance stance on MRSA. Our main area of concern is in relation to issuing fines to trusts who do not deliver on the 52-week target. Logic would suggest that if a trust is unable to achieve this target then a fine will only make matters worse."