NHS and the Health and Social Care Bill: end of Bevan's vision?

The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill 2003 is the most controversial piece of legislation to come out of the government’s 10 year strategy for the NHS in England.1 The bill, which abolishes government control of NHS trusts by turning them into competing independent corporations called foundation trusts, is a major policy reversal. It could lead to considerable local variation in services and endangers one of the NHS’s founding principles—to provide equal care for equal need.