Sir David Nicholson speaks to NHS local
Sir David Nicholson, NHS chief executive and chief executive-elect of the NHS Commissioning Board, spoke to NHS local about how patients now have much more control over their health affairs. He was visiting the NHS West Midlands stand at Healthcare Innovation Expo 2011, the annual showcase for health and social care commissioners and providers.
But calling on his thirty years of experience at the NHS, he said that there is still a lot more to be done to give patients power and control, especially in the area of long term conditions. More control would mean health improvements for patients and better value for money for the taxpayer.
Sir David also talked about the important role that GPs have in helping people find their way round a system that is 'almost incomprehensible for some patients'.
And he said the way the NHS communicates with patients needs to take a great leap forward, describing NHS local as 'fantastic'.
The Healthcare Innovation Expo, which Sir David called an ideal platform to help frontline staff understand the part they can play in delivering change, attracts more than 10,000 delegates from the public, private and voluntary health sectors.
There are 250 exhibitors promoting innovations geared towards boosting quality and productivity in the NHS. The NHS West Midlands stand featured NHS local among the best examples of innovation from the region.