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Health Act 2009
The Health Act 2009 has received Royal Assent.
Provisions in the Health Act 2009 will require Primary Care Trusts to develop and publish a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, which will then be used in the determination of applications for inclusion in a pharmaceutical list.
The Act places a legal duty on the NHS and its providers to have regard to the NHS Constitution, which will safeguard the principles and values of the NHS for the future, and sets out the rights and responsibilities of patients and staff.
The Act will also enable the piloting of direct payments for healthcare, giving patients more choice and greater control over the care they receive, and improving the quality of health services.
Key measures in the Health Act 2009 which affect pharmacy contractors include:
- Introduction of mandatory Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments and the revised arrangements for the market entry test (expected to be introduced through regulations in 2010 and 2011);
- Introduction of a duty to have regard to the NHS Constitution;
- Piloting of direct payments to give patients greater choice and control over their health care;
- Creates new quality accounts (expected to apply to pharmacy from 2011).
The Health Act 2009 will come into effect over the next few months.
The NHS Constitution was published on 21 January 2009
A consultation on direct payments for healthcare was published on 23 October 2009
The Department of Health's consultation on pharmacy in England can be downloaded here
Posted 13 November 2009