It is estimated that there are more than 6,000 social enterprises delivering health and social care within the NHS (State of Social Enterprise Survey, 2009, Social Enterprise Coalition). This number continues to rise as more and more NHS professionals come to view social enterprise as a viable means of tackling unmet needs and health inequalities.
The White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’ sets out the opportunity for NHS staff to transform the services they run into employee-led social enterprises freeing them to use their expertise to structure services around what really works for patients.
The Right to Provide is part of a broader vision for the NHS which continues to put quality at the heart of everything we do. If you’ve got an idea for improving the quality and efficiency of local services, it’s your chance to take action to deliver lasting positive change.