Fewer targets for the NHS

Health secretary John Reid confirmed that many performance targets will be replaced by new quality standards from 2005 onwards.

He said that targets had undoubtedly speeded up treatment for patients and helped to drive forward expansion of the health service.

Already nine out of every 10 accident and emergency patients are being treated within four hours and 93 per cent of patients are offered an appointment with their GP within 48 hours of contact. Also cancer death rates have fallen by 10 per cent and coronary heart disease rates by 20 per cent in less than six years.

With the Government now nearly half way through the 10-year programme set out in The NHS Plan, Mr Reid said it was possible to predict that the vast majority of present targets would be reached in four years.

“Now is the time to move to another stage, to build on that success and to recast our ambitions for health care in England,” he said.

“Precisely because the NHS is delivering through the huge initial impetus that targets are providing, we can extend the focus to enhanced quality standards.”

Source : NHS | More Information