In an interview for the BBC Breakfast, Nick Clegg stated that the NHS Reform legislation would be paused in order to get consultation with the general public. Transcript of Nick Clegg interview:

Some people are worried about exactly how it will work when GP’s are given responsibility for spending money or allocating money in the NHS on behalf of their patients.  Some people worry about the role of the private sector in the NHS.  Clearly, we need to listen to those concerns; distinguish those concerns which are misplaced or simply not accurate; and identify those that are genuine and legitimate and then address them.  And that is why we are taking a pause for a couple of months, stopping the legislative clock and coming forward with substantive real changes to the legislation when we have completed that exercise.  I think that is a good example of a government saying, “we want to bring people along with us”.  The NHS is not the government’s property, it is something that is for the whole country and if people are to feel comfortable about changes which should and will – i hope – strengthen rather than weaken everything we love and cherish about the NHS.

Health professionals have been telling you for some time they are concerned about these changes, the pace of the changes, that so much money is being given to GP’s and why you need to listen now when they have already been telling you this for some time.  What difference will it make when you are hearing the same voices, saying the same things?

Well, I think to be fair we have – it perhaps hasn’t attracted that much attention – we have a number of very significant amendments and improvements and changes to the legislation in response to those concerns already.  So, for instance, in response to people who worry about our kind of rush to the bottom through too much competition in the NHS:  we have said very clearly there isn’t going to be a bargain basement rush to the bottom because there isn’t going to be competition based upon price.

If you listen again to those voices, you are prepared to make further changes.  For example, the health select committee today saying that other than having consortium GP’s managing budgets what you do – perhaps – is put patients, health experts on those bodies, in order that its a more accountable body.  Is that something that you would look at?

Absolutely.  We will look at this fundamental issue – which is if you ask GP’s to take on more responsibility in the NHS which, by the way I think is a relatively uncontroversial basic idea because of course it is GP’s who know us, the patients, the best.  So, it is a rather good idea to have them in the driving seat rather than unaccountable officials who are moving money around from one side of a desk to another.  I don’t think that many people have problems with the idea that GP’s should be more responsible but with that responsibility must come more accountability.  I totally agree and that is precisely why we will be looking at those kinds of concerns and seeing what we can do to change and amend the legislation to reflect them.

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