Nicholson challenge
Encyclopedia
The term "Nicholson challenge" refers to a set of mandates that the 2011 leader of the National Health Service in England, Sir David Nicholson
, has put forth to the entirety of the NHS in a drive to find "efficiency savings" amidst a UK economy in upheaval. The parameters of the "challenge" by Nicholson to the NHS add up to a demand by Nicholson for the NHS to find £20 billion in "efficiency savings" by 2015.
The Health and Social Care Bill 2011
currently under consideration by the Parliament of the United Kingdom
and its House of Lords
, which would greatly alter the fundamentals of NHS functioning (not just financing) if it becomes law, is technically not a part of this "challenge" at all, but is happening separately. The Nicholson challenge keeps NHS law and regulations as they currently stand, but asks staff and administrators to find these "savings" within those present parameters nevertheless.
Doctors and nurses across the NHS already complained early in 2011 that front-line NHS services of many different types are having to be cut immediately, and very heavily, in order to achieve these "savings", despite Nicholson alleging that they would not have to be. NHS workers insist that it is impossible to find these types of 'savings' in this amount of time without having to make drastic cutbacks to existing services.
On 18 October 2011 this allegation by doctors and nurses was further backed up by research when The Guardian
published an exposé revealing how the Nicholson challenge is "really affecting the young, old and infirm".
Defenders of the "challenge", such as James Ball of The Daily Telegraph
, point out that health service finance directors had already been fully aware, since the summer of 2009, of the kind of constraints that would have to be dealt with because of the UK deficit crisis. Nicholson first signalled his challenge in June 2009 while the UK government was under the previous administration, which was that of Gordon Brown
.
David Nicholson (civil servant)
Sir David Nicholson KCB CBE is Chief Executive of the English National Health Service, appointed in September 2006.-Education:Nicholson was educated at Forest Fields Grammar School in Nottingham, and graduated from Bristol University with a 2:1 in History and Politics.-Career:Nicholson joined the...
, has put forth to the entirety of the NHS in a drive to find "efficiency savings" amidst a UK economy in upheaval. The parameters of the "challenge" by Nicholson to the NHS add up to a demand by Nicholson for the NHS to find £20 billion in "efficiency savings" by 2015.
The Health and Social Care Bill 2011
Health and Social Care Bill 2011
The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 is proposed health care reform legislation introduced in the House of Commons on 19 January 2011. If passed, the Bill would be the most extensive reorganisation of the structure of the National Health Service in England to date. It proposes to abolish NHS...
currently under consideration by the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and its House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, which would greatly alter the fundamentals of NHS functioning (not just financing) if it becomes law, is technically not a part of this "challenge" at all, but is happening separately. The Nicholson challenge keeps NHS law and regulations as they currently stand, but asks staff and administrators to find these "savings" within those present parameters nevertheless.
Doctors and nurses across the NHS already complained early in 2011 that front-line NHS services of many different types are having to be cut immediately, and very heavily, in order to achieve these "savings", despite Nicholson alleging that they would not have to be. NHS workers insist that it is impossible to find these types of 'savings' in this amount of time without having to make drastic cutbacks to existing services.
On 18 October 2011 this allegation by doctors and nurses was further backed up by research when The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
published an exposé revealing how the Nicholson challenge is "really affecting the young, old and infirm".
Defenders of the "challenge", such as James Ball of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, point out that health service finance directors had already been fully aware, since the summer of 2009, of the kind of constraints that would have to be dealt with because of the UK deficit crisis. Nicholson first signalled his challenge in June 2009 while the UK government was under the previous administration, which was that of Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
.