Following the resignation of Alan Milburn, the new Secretary of State for Health has been named as John Reid. The MP for Motherwell North and former Northern Ireland Secretary has left the Leader of the House of Commons post to take up the role. In his first main speech, delivered at the NHS Conference in Glasgow, John Reid set out the direction he would be taking, staying faithful to Alan Milburn’s plans (especially with regard to the creation of foundation trusts) and striving to create and maintain a fair NHS for all.

John Hutton remains as Minister of State for Health, but is joined by four new ministers:

• Rosie Winterton: Minister of State for Health
• Lord Warner: Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Lords
• Melanie Johnson: Parliamentary Under Secretary for Public Health
• Stephen Ladyman: Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Community Care

‘Genetics can deliver real and lasting benefits in health and healthcare for all of us’, John Reid said in introducing a £50m initiative to make genetics a solid component of the NHS. The White Paper, Our inheritance, our future: realising the potential of genetics in the NHS formulates the government’s genetic commitment to NHS patients.

A breakdown of the £50m that will be spent over the next three years shows:

• £18m for upgrading genetics laboratories
• £7m for introducing genetics-based healthcare into primary care
• £3m for gene therapy research on single gene disorders
• £2.5m for gene therapy research on cystic fibrosis
• £4m for gene therapy manufacturing services
• £4m for pharmocogenetics research on popular drugs

Other plans in the White Paper include making it an offence to test DNA without a person’s consent.

Following months of discussions between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the NHS Confederation, the UK’s family doctors have decided to back the new general medical services contract, to be implemented in April 2004.

The BMA sent out 45,750 ballot papers to GPs, of which 70 per cent were returned. Of the returns, 79 per cent of GPs backed the new contract.

According to the BMA, an average GP will see their income rise from £65,000 to £82,000 over the next three years. It is hoped that the new contract will boost GP numbers by attracting younger doctors to the profession whilst retaining older GPs.

Before the planned national roll-out of Agenda for Change in October 2004, 12 trust sites have commenced testing of the new pay system.

The details of Agenda for Change were finalised in November 2002, with trades unions consulting their members earlier this year. It aims to harmonise the working conditions of NHS employees and to provide a fair pay system.

It was also announced that subject to legislation, the first wave of foundation trusts will also be subject to the new pay system.

The test sites are:

• James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust
• Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Trust
• City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust
• Papworth Hospital NHS Trust
• Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust
• Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
• South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust
• Herefordshire PCT
• Central Cheshire PCT
• North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust
• East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust

The next three years will see 285,000 extra NHS operations take place in doctors’ surgeries and outpatient clinics, according to local delivery plans (LDPs).

It is the first time that England’s strategic health authorities have published their three-yearly LDPs (covering spring 2003 to spring 2006). By shifting simpler and non-urgent operations from hospitals to local clinics, it is hoped that patient accessibility will be improved.

The LDPs also show that the number of doctors is forecast to rise by 15,000 and nurses by 35,000 between 2001 and 2008.

A long-term strategy will be published in September to prevent and reduce the number of healthcare associated infections (HCAIs), the chief medical officer has announced. Sir Liam Donaldson has begun an investigation into how other countries deal with HCAIs, and in particular hospital infections.

In addition, two medium-term plans have also been announced:

• £12m over three years for hospital pharmacies to monitor and control antibiotic use
• Extension of the surveillance system of HCAIs to cover new infections

The NHS Appointments Commission has appointed Denise Platt as shadow chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). Subject to legislation, the new commission will be operating in April 2004 to provide a single independent inspectorate of English social care.

Ms Platt leaves the roles of chief inspector of the social services inspectorate and director for children, older people and social care services to take up the new post.

The NHS Appointments Commission has appointed Denise Platt as shadow chair of the Ten shadow commissioners for the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI) have been announced.

The NHS Appointments Commission have appointed:

• Khurshid Alam: personnel manager at St Mungo’s Housing Association
• Sarah Blackburn: business consultancy chief executive
• Bruce Keogh: consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust
• Melinda Letts: health policy consultant
• Nicholas Partridge: chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust
• Shirley Pearce: pro-vice chancellor and professor of health psychology at University of East Anglia
• John Scampion: commissioner for immigration services
• Iqbal Singh: consultant physician in medicine for the elderly and professor in ethnicity and health
• Paul Streets: chief executive of Diabetes UK
• Stephen Thornton: chief executive of the Health Foundation