Today the Health and Social Care Bill gained Royal Assent to become the Health and Social Care Act (2012).
Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, said:
‘The Health and Social Care Act will deliver more power to clinicians, it will put patients at the heart of the NHS, and it will reduce the costs of bureaucracy. We now have an opportunity to secure clinical leadership to deliver improving quality and outcomes; better results for patients is our objective.’
The implementation of the Act will enable clinical leaders, patients’ representatives and local government to take new roles in shaping services.
Read the press release.
Find out more about Royal Assent on the UK Parliament website.