Think tank calls for slower pace of NHS reforms

The government has been called upon to slow down the pace of its NHS reforms.

Leading think tank Policy Exchange has published a report based on interviews with GP leaders and pathfinder consortia managers, titled Implementing GP Commissioning, which reveals a high level of opposition to the current plans.

It suggests that many GPs do not feel confident about the new powers and responsibilities with which they will be provided, while the abolition of primary care trusts was said to be happening too quickly.

Other concerns centred on the ambiguity about how private firms and the NHS will work together, as well as the level of bureaucracy GPs may still face.

Eve Norridge, lead author of the report, said many GPs support the reforms in principle, but warned that their trust must be secured if they are to succeed.

"It would be a loss to everyone, especially patients, if the policy were discredited due to overly hasty implementation," she said.

This comes after think tank The King's Fund suggested last month that the planned NHS reforms will not deliver the improvements the service requires.