Stuart Carroll is a senior health economist and Policy Analyst who chairs the Bow Group's Health Policy Committee. Here he summarises the new research paper he has co-authored for the Bow Group, "People Power: Reforming QUANGOs – Is this Applicable to Health Agencies?", which is published today and can be downloaded here.
In July 2009 in a speech to Reform, David Cameron made the unequivocal statement that “we do need to reduce the number of QUANGOs in this country” to increase public accountability and save taxpayers’ money. Although the Conservative Party leader made it clear that it would be far too “simplistic” to propose a “bonfire of the QUANGOs”, he emphasised his strong appetite for significant reform of these organisations and a general rolling back of unelected governmental bodies. Indeed, on the back of this speech Mr. Cameron asked his Shadow Cabinet to review every QUANGO within their respective policy briefs in a process continuing “up to and beyond the general election”.
Given that the Conservative Party has pledged to ring-fence the NHS budget and is committed to real terms spending increases as way of number one policy priority, it is an important question to ponder as to which health QUANGOs could and should be scrapped; reduced in scope and size; reformed and renewed; or merged. This is not least the case given the continual push for better healthcare service deliverability and efficiency; the parlous state of the public finances and associated recessionary pressures on NHS spending; and the wide-ranging number of health agencies that currently exist.
In the same Reform speech, David Cameron set out the following questions that his Shadow Cabinet will have to ask when undertaking their QUANGO review:
- Does this organisation need to exist?
- If its functions are necessary, which of them should be carried out in a directly accountable way within the department?
- And which, if any, should be carried out independently, at arm’s length from political influence?
- If there really is a need for an independent QUANGO, how can we make sure it is as small as possible, operating with maximum efficiency, frugality and respect for taxpayers’ money?
In our research published today, we apply Mr. Cameron’s criteria to each of the key health agencies and bodies in the UK to better understand which health QUANGOs (defined as agencies, committees, advisory boards and other organisations) should be scrapped, reformed or merged.
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