The Department of Health has published the government’s mandate to NHS England for 2017/18.
The mandate to NHS England sets out the government’s objectives for NHS England, as well as its budget.
The mandate for the next year seeks to reach a 95% A&E target by the end of 2018.
In the mandate’s foreword, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured) said: “This mandate makes clear that the NHS must continue to put quality and safety at the heart of everything it does. I am proud of our record levels of harm-free care, but I am clear that more needs to be done to transform clinical standards across specialities, create a strong learning culture and deliver truly high quality services seven days a week.
“This will be as true for mental health as it is for physical health conditions, which is why this mandate sets out our commitment to one of the most ambitious expansion plans for mental health services in Europe, ensuring one million more people can access services by 2020.
“I have been clear that a critical element of patient safety is A&E performance, and equally clear that there have been instances of unacceptable performance in some hospitals in recent months. That is why, central to this mandate, is delivery of the NHS’s A&E turnaround plan which should see hospitals return to meeting the four hour target, supported by £2 billion extra investment in social care and £100 million in capital funding for A&E departments.
“By working closely with leaders across the health and care system, this mandate is about making real progress to deliver the care that our patients need, not only safeguarding the NHS’s immediate future but also ensuring this for generations to come. I expect to see clear progress against the measures in this mandate in the months ahead.”
You can read the full mandate here.
