Navigating the new NHS landscape
The NHS in England is currently undergoing one of the most extensive periods of reform in its history. Since the Coalition Government published the NHS White Paper Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS in July 2010, the RCN has been working hard on behalf of our members to get the nursing voice heard.
On this page you will find more information about the RCN's response to the NHS reforms and how you can get involved.
- Key topics.
- The RCN's response to the NHS White Paper and the Health and Social Care Bill.
- The RCN's response to the NHS Future Forum.
- The RCN's response to the Public Health White Paper.
- Get involved.
Please note: the RCN has expressed significant concerns about the current NHS reforms and how the changes will impact on the delivery of patient care. These concerns are set out in the RCNs response to the NHS White Paper, our subsequent lobbying work on the Health and Social Care Bill and other campaigning work. The practical resources provided below should not be interpreted as RCN support for the wider NHS reforms being introduced by the Government.
Key topics
Some parts of the NHS will change radically in the next few years as the series of reforms are enacted. The RCN is producing practical guidance and other resources for members to help navigate through the new health and social care landscape. Some of the files on this page are in PDF format. See how to access PDF files.
- Clinical commissioning - information and resources to help you understand how clinical commissioning is set to change and how you can get involved.
- Workforce issues - information on how the RCN is working to ensure that the complex workforce and HR issues caused by the reforms are handled properly and transparently.
Further resources will be provided on this page as they are developed by the RCN.
The RCN's response to the NHS White Paper and the Health and Social Care Bill
The RCN responded to the NHS White Paper Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS and undertook extensive lobbying work on the Health and Social Care Bill.
- Download the RCN response to the NHS White Paper (PDF 832KB).
- Download Executive summary of the RCN response to the NHS White Paper (PDF 69KB).
- For more detailed information, visit our NHS White Paper consultation page
- For details of the RCN's lobbying work on the Health and Social Care Bill, please visit the RCN Parliamentary Team's Health and Social Care Bill webpage.
The RCN's response to the NHS Future Forum
In May 2011, the Government "paused" the Health and Social Care Bill to run a "listening exercise" on the proposed changes to the NHS in England. A panel called the NHS Future Forum published its recommendations in early June 2011.
In August 2011, the Government announced new workstreams for the NHS Future Forum and has added to the existing membership of the group. The group is due to submit their final report in early 2012.
- Download the RCN response to the NHS Future Forum (second phase on workforce, public health and information) (PDF 307KB).
- Download the RCN response to the NHS Future Forum (second phase on integration) (PDF 347KB).
The RCN's response to the Public Health White Paper
The Department of Health published its Public Health White Paper Healthy lives, healthy people on 30 November 2011.
- Download the RCN response to the Public Health White Paper (PDF 78KB).
Get involved
The RCN has consulted with members since the publication of the NHS White Paper, and our work with parliamentarians continues to be informed by your ideas. Visit the consultations page to see which consultations we are currently working on.
If you would like to contact the RCN about our work on the NHS reform, please email policycontacts@rcn.org.uk
If you are an RCN member and you are being affected by the reforms, you can access advice and support from RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100.