The Long Term Plan included several proposed changes to the law which the organisation believed would help meet its 10-year goals.

Earlier this year, staff, partner organisations and interested members of the public were invited to give their views on the proposals.

Now, the NHS has published its response to the engagement and set out its recommendations to government and parliament.

It says an NHS Bill should be introduced in the next session of parliament.

The purpose of the bill would be to free up different parts of the NHS to work together and with partners more easily.

Once enacted, the NHS argues it would speed up implementation of the 10-year Long Term Plan.

The recommendation document says: “A highly targeted Bill would command widespread support from the public and the NHS.

“Conversely, we found minimal appetite for primary legislation that would now trigger yet another wholesale administrative reorganisation of the NHS.”

Recommendations also included repealing the roles of the Competition and Markets Authority, allowing NHS England and NHS Improvement to merge fully and a new ‘triple aim’ of better health for the whole population, better quality care for all patients and financially sustainable services for the taxpayer.

www.longtermplan.nhs.uk