Comment on the report from the Future Hospital Commission

Commenting on today’s report from the Future Hospital Commission, Professor Norman Williams, President of the Royal College of Surgeons, said:

“At the heart of this report is the concept of healthcare professionals taking collective responsibility for patient care, working cohesively to deliver a true seven day service. As the Commission states, every effort should be made to improve early diagnosis and treatment – something that is particularly important for many conditions requiring surgery."

“Delivering the Commissions’ recommendations will require the reshaping of hospital services and a move towards greater centralisation. There is an undeniable clinical case for change as concentrating specialist services into fewer, larger centres of excellence can improve patient outcomes and make services more sustainable. However we must ensure that services are designed to enable patients in less populated areas to receive the right continuity of care. The challenges ahead will mean clinicians, managers and politicians working collaboratively to support the changes which will deliver the benefits we all want to see.”

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