The agreement signed at Great Ormond Street Hospital will begin with five devolution pilots across London.
Plans that will set in motion the radical transformation of health and social care services across London were revealed by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
The Chancellor signed a health devolution agreement with the capital’s health and civic leaders which will allow it to begin the process of taking control of its own affairs.
There was an agreement signed with the Greater London Authority and national bodies including NHS England, Health Education England, NHS Improvement and Public Health England. It will focus on five devolution pilots in Haringey, Barking and Dagenham, North Central London, Lewisham and Hackney.
The agreement’s intention is to pilot new ways of working across London’s large and complex health economy with the longer term aim for further devolution of London’s healthcare out of Whitehall and into the hands of local leaders. The agreement aims to radically reshape healthcare provision across the city, in line with the aspirations of the NHS five year forward view while addressing inequalities in health outcomes.
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said:
Today’s agreement is another crucial step in our devolution revolution and is the start of us handing over valuable healthcare power to local leaders in London. This deal means that not only will the people of London have more control over decisions that affect their lives, it will also lead to better, more joined up health care in the capital for Londoners.