By empowering local doctors, nurses and Health Authorities to plan services we will ensure that the local NHS is built around the needs of patients. Hospitals and other agencies providing services will have a hand in shaping those plans but their primary duty will be to meet patients' requirements for high quality and easily accessible services. Most of the contact that patients have with the NHS is through a primary care professional such as a community nurse or a family doctor. They are best placed to understand their patients' needs as a whole and to identify ways of making local services more responsive. The Government wishes to build on these approaches, ensuring that all patients, rather than just some, are able to benefit.
Most people look first to their family doctor or local pharmacist for advice on health matters.
Dentists, optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners also provide essential care to meet everyday needs. Community health service staff offer a range of services for people wherever they are, in their homes, schools, clinics and even in the streets. These services include health visiting, school nursing, chiropody, occupational, speech and language therapy. Services such as district nursing, community psychiatric nursing and physiotherapy can enable people with short or long term disability to be cared for in their own homes. Other specialist staff such as midwives provide care across hospital and community settings.