Future Forum was truly independent and not influenced by government, claims chairman

doi:10.1136/bmj.d3833

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Adrian O’Dowd

¹London

The panel of experts that led a listening exercise to review the government’s planned health reforms was not influenced by the government, MPs have been told.

Steve Field, chairman of the NHS Future Forum, appearing before the parliamentary health select committee on 16 June, denied that the forum had been somehow pressured and controlled by the Department of Health for England.

The forum, which published its Summary Report on Proposed Changes to the NHS on 13 June, recommended significant changes to the Health and Social Care Bill, almost all of which have been accepted by the government (BMJ 2011;342:d3777, doi:10.1136/bmj.d3777).

Professor Field, giving evidence to the committee as part of its inquiry into the forum’s report, was asked how …