NHS reforms: the patient advocate's view

Patients and the public own the NHS and they expect care to be available to them when they need it. But the Patients Association , an independent charity, receives thousands of calls a year from patients and their families, many reporting poor experiences. More medical and care provision has to be provided in the community – patients tell us they would prefer this. An acute hospital bed costs £2,500 per week, while a care bed is £600. But the NHS is very bad at collaborating and communicating with other organisations, including the social care sector. Our concern is that there will be a renewed emphasis on the "faster and cheaper is better" approach in the NHS. Healthcare managers lose sight of patients when they are faced with the need to save money and meet targets.