NHS future forum: is anyone listening?

The NHS Future Forum has been asked by the Government to continue what it refers to as 'conversations' with patients, service users and professionals (Department of Health (DH), 2011a). The key focus points of the forum are information, education and training, integrated care and public health. The forum was first put into action following the publication of Modernising the NHS: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 (DH, 2011b), which met with opposition from many who felt that encouraging competition within the NHS was a bad idea and put the NHS at risk of privatization. Andrew Lansley, Secretary of State for Health, launched a 'listening exercise' as a response to this widespread criticism. However, this too has been criticized after a confidential memo came to light suggesting that there was actually little room for manoeuvre in terms of changes to the Bill (Bosely et al, 2011).