Stay aware of NHS cut risk

As you may know, the NHS is run currently by NHS Trusts set up right across the country.

Am I right in thinking mental health is also run by a separate series of NHS Trusts but the boundaries are not always the same?

To this has been added a further layer of administration called Strategic Transformation Partnerships (STP).

There have been several long running STP “reviews” set up which have principally closed down or looked into closing down A and E Departments right across England.

The STP teams and the NHS trusts seem to be pulling in opposite directions.

The NHS trust structure may have at one time had some merit to it; but all these different organisations claiming authority over all sorts of aspects of the future of the health service is now causing confusion, even amongst senior NHS staff.

A widespread question amongst NHS staff now is, might it be time for a return to the previous structure of Regional Health Authorities?

If this happens we the public must stay aware of any future attempts by top civil servants in Whitehall to make Regional Health Authorities cut back further the number of A&Es.

For many members of the public they are our route now to accessing hospital services. Nigel Boddy, Darlington