Consultations: National Standards and Local Autonomy

Name: Cancer Services: National Standards and Local Autonomy Source: All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer Date: May 2004

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer Launched an inquiry in May 2004 into the implications for cancer services of the Government's policy of devolved decision-making in the NHS.

The inquiry examined possible tensions in the Government's twin aims of ending regional variations in care through national standards and guidance while also encouraging local NHS bodies to make decisions on the basis of local priorities.

In particular the inquiry focused on:

• How primary care trusts balance the need to meet national targets on cancer care with the freedom to set their own priorities and allocate their own resources
• Who should take responsibility for achieving the balance between national standards and local autonomy
• How cancer services can be reconfigured to meet national standards on clinical outcomes
• Whether national guidance should be binding on local NHS bodies
• To what extent national targets help health professionals in providing high quality care to patients.

For more information, please read the consultation response in full.