We can all have a field day (pun intended) now that the conclusions of the NHS Future Forum have been published. For 24 hours at least anyway.

The next step is the Government’s response which is due tomorrow. Hopefully they will have taken on board the NHS Future Forum’s overall message that it was a case of the NHS reforms not being ‘able to work’ rather being ‘unwilling to work’ when the Government referred them to its ‘House.’

National Voices have posted a quick pros and cons sheet on the report.

The strong patient component to the recommendations is excellent – both the Citizen’s Panel and the underpinning ‘Right to Challenge’ services and standards of a poor quality. There does not appear to be a specific recommendation on research but then it has never been considered ‘high politics’ in the NHS debate thus far. That may well be to its benefit as long as the message is getting through to the people and organs responsible for implementating Plan B.

Indeed, when I looked at the recommendations my sense is that the revised legislation is going to be more ‘enabling’ than anything else – establishing and getting various quangos up and running as soon as possible to design the future. Not designing the future itself so much anymore.