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Matt Hancock announces shake-up giving ministers more power over NHS

Health secretary tells MPs Covid has strengthened case for change, but experts say power grab could backfire
Matt Hancock has formally unveiled plans for a significant reorganisation of the health service that he said would bring better integration and accountability and less bureaucracy, but which will also concentrate power over the NHS with ministers.
Saying the coronavirus crisis had emphasised the need for both a more holistic approach to population-wide health, and better integration with care services, the health secretary portrayed the plans for NHS England as implementing the desires of NHS staff, councils and others.
“We have listened, and these changes reflect what the health and care family have been asking for,” Hancock told the Commons, detailing plans for a healthcare white paper that will undo many of the changes made under the former Conservative health secretary Andrew Lansley.
But Labour immediately questioned both the timing of the changes and raised concerns about accountability of new integrated care organisations to local people. “Where does the buck stop?” asked Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary.
Saying the plans were the product of two years of discussions with the health service, local authorities and others, Hancock said they were intended to “make the system work for those who work in the system”.He told MPs: “At its heart, this white paper enables greater integration, reduces bureaucracy and supports the way that the NHS and social care work when they work at their best – together.
“It strengthens accountability to this house, and crucially it takes the lessons we have learned in this pandemic of how the system can rise to meet the huge challenges and frames a legislative basis to support that.”
While the process had begun before coronavirus, Hancock said, the pandemic had further demonstrated the need for change, both in better connecting health and social care, and also in population-wide preventative health measures.
Hancock set out the more top-down approach to leadership within the English health service: “Medical matters are matters for ministers. The white paper provides a statutory basis for unified national leadership of the NHS, merging three bodies that legally oversee the NHS into one, as NHS England.
“NHS England will have a clinical and day-to-day operational independence, but the secretary of state will be empowered to set direction for the NHS and intervene where necessary.”
Replying for Labour, Ashworth said that while he could see the need to undo some of the Lansley changes, it was the wrong moment for such wholesale reorganisation.
“We’re in the middle of the biggest public health crisis our NHS has ever faced, staff on the frontline are exhausted and underpaid. The Royal College of Nursing says the NHS is on its knees,” he said. “And the secretary of state thinks this is the right moment for a structural reorganisation of the NHS.”
Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary who now chairs the Commons health committee, said he knew “how distracting it can be” to the NHS to make such changes.
“It is nonetheless the right thing to do, and a brave thing to do,” said Hunt, who began his speech by praising staff at his local hospital in Surrey who had treated him that morning after he slipped during a run and broke his arm.
However, Hunt said the public needed to know who was in charge in their local area, calling for Ofsted-style ratings for the new local integrated care bodies.
NHS bodies and health experts have warned ministers that the power grab could backfire, distract staff from caring for patients and lead to the government being blamed by the public for any setback or controversy in the service, such as unpopular plans to downgrade a local hospital.
source: Peter Walker
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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