West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin today heard plans outlined to Parliament which will liberate the NHS from bureaucracy and put patients first. Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley today set out plans to remove layers of bureaucracy in the NHS, which will see up to £20 billion of efficiency savings by 2014, all of which will be re-invested in patient care. The Government has committed to increasing overall funding for the NHS in real terms. Harriett commented: “Patients and their GPs are going to be given choice and control over their care. Bureaucratic process targets and the onerous reporting culture that has built up over the last decade will be eliminated, delivering significant savings. “The Primary Care Trust and the Strategic Health Authority will be phased out to reduce management costs by 45% over the next four years. “In the coming months I will be working closely with patients’ groups, doctors, local councillors and local NHS managers to discuss the changes outlined in today’s White Paper. “Everyone will want to work together to make sure that the result for residents in Worcestershire is that they get better, more responsive health care in a location that is as convenient as possible for patients.” TEXT Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con): I welcome the fact that my right hon. Friend has said that an extra £20 billion will be going into patient care by 2014. Can he clarify how much more that is under our Budget, compared with Labour's Budget, which would have cut the NHS budget? Mr Lansley: My hon. Friend is right. It appears that the Labour party's policy is to cut the NHS. Our policy is to do something that Labour never achieved: deliver greater efficiency and greater productivity in the NHS, not least through the reforms that I have announced. Every penny saved will be a penny reinvested to the benefit of patient care. | Hansard