ABSTRACT

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 was 'by far the most controversial piece of legislation in more than two decades'. The parliamentary process took from January 2011 to March 2012, 14 months in all. However, the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) did not survive this process, and their place was taken by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which would be general practitioner (GP) led. This change was intended to meet two of the Government's objectives. The income hospital trusts could derive from private patients would still be capped, although this was later changed for Foundation Trust (FT) hospitals The service providers were to be Natioanal Health Service Trusts, GP providers, dentists, opticians, pharmacists, walk-in centres, community services and independent sector treatment centres. It was intended that all hospitals would become FTs. Public health powers and duties were transferred back to local authorities, where they had been until the NHS reorganisation introduced by the 1970-1974 Conservative Government.