The U.K. government announced several changes to the Health and Social Care Bill before it entered the House of Lords for approval, where it has previously failed twice. The main changes to the bill, which aims to reform the National Health Service (NHS), include increasing the cap on the amount of income that foundation trusts can receive for providing services to patients with private insurance, encouraging greater patient participation in care, and requiring Clinical Commissioning Groups to support the education and training of physicians and their staff. Shortly after taking office in July 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron announced sweeping reforms to the NHS, which include shifting a major portion of funding into the hands of general practitioners through the Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Sources:
The Guardian, NHS Reforms: Government Concedes Raft of Fresh Amendments, Feb. 13, 2012.
U.K. Department of Health, Government brings forward amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill, Feb. 1, 2012.
BMJ, NHS hospitals will be able to raise up to half their income from private patients, Dec. 2011 (subscription required).