4.The Act contains 12 Parts and 23 Schedules addressing a range of issues relating to health and social care. The Act makes changes to a number of existing Acts, most notably the National Health Service Act 2006 (‘the NHS Act’).
5.The Act gives effect to the policies that were set out in the White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS which was published in July 2010.
6.The main aims of the Act are to change how NHS care is commissioned through the greater involvement of clinicians and a new NHS Commissioning Board; to improve accountability and patient voice; to give NHS providers new freedoms to improve quality of care; and to establish a provider regulator to promote economic, efficient and effective provision. In addition, the Act will underpin the creation of Public Health England, and take forward measures to reform health public bodies.