Nick Clegg's vision for a "people's" health service

6.30.00pm GMT Wed 23rd Jan 2008

Lib Dems pledge to bring NHS nearer the people

In the run up to the 60th anniversary of the NHS, Nick Clegg has set out his vision for a people's health service

It included plans to give communities control over local health services, freed from Whitehall, and providing for older people with personal care needs.

The Policy Paper will go to the Party's Spring Conference in March.

It includes:

Introducing a 'Care Guarantee', providing £2 billion on a personal care payment for all elderly people requiring care, based on need and not their ability to pay.

Directly elected local Health Boards instead of unaccountable Primary Care Trusts. This would put people in charge of decisions about their local health services.

At present Primary Care Trust (PCT) boards are appointed by the national NHS

Appointments Commission and are accountable to Strategic Health Authorities, not to local people.

Accountability is to the Secretary of State. In most cases the only local democratic voice comes through local authorities' Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

"This overbearing control from the centre has to be challenged, " said constituency press officer Gareth Davies.

"If we do not like what is happening in our local health services all we can do is complain

to the Government. Our answer is to establish proper local democratic

accountability and a devolution of decision-making so that local priorities can

be addressed.

"We would rename PCTs 'Local Health Boards', to be directly elected, and supported by professionals providing financial acumen and health expertise. This would introduce genuine accountability to the community."

Nick Clegg summed up the plan:

"I want a people's health service which puts individuals in control of their own healthcare.

"Sixty years after it was founded, the NHS desperately needs a new direction.

"Many older people are not getting the personal care they require. We have serious plans to end the punishing poverty which afflicts the many elderly people forced to pay for their personal care entirely out of their own pockets.

"We would introduce a personal care payment based on need, not on your ability to pay. [We must end] this scandalous injustice."