title: Regional accents. The RCN policy unit compares NHS plans across the UK.
abstract: All three NHS plans that form the modernization agenda can be characterised by three themes: Centralization Partnership Culture change. Despite the absence of a Northern Ireland plan, the issues and themes that emerge in the other three plans are prevalent in Northern Ireland too. CENTRALISATION: The tendency to centralize has led to a greater involvement of health ministers, rather than civil servants, in the day-to-day running of the health services, but ministers are preparing to hand over operational control of new policies. PARTNERSHIP: Partnership underpins many of the new structural arrangements, with an emphasis on increased inter-professional working and education, but merged health and social care structures create funding tensions. CULTURE CHANGE: Culture change focuses on creating patient-centred care and dismantling the power of the health professions, while the curbing of professional autonomy is central to enhancing and improving patients' overall experience of the NHS. The cumulative effect of these developments is likely to lead to increasing debate about the future funding, provision and accountability of the NHS as regional and country differences continue to develop.
mesh_terms: D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D009111:Local Government; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000458:organization & administration; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011057:Politics; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012956:Societies, Nursing; D006113:United Kingdom