The SoR has welcomed the recently formed coalition government and is preparing to work constructively with the new administration.
"Health secretary Andrew Lansley is well respected for his extensive knowledge of the NHS, so we are expecting him to recognise the important issues and not be bound by prejudice," said SoR CEO Richard Evans.
"We need to quickly put behind us the media prostitution of the election campaign and begin to sort out real policies, for example, addressing the nonsense that has been talked on all sides about public sector pensions."
Earlier this month, David Cameron launched the Conservative party's
contract for a better NHS, pledging to scrap politically motivated process targets, so that doctors and nurses can focus on helping patients.
He also aims to cut NHS bureaucracy by a third and get the money to the frontline.
But, says Richard Evans, it remains to be seen whether the new government genuinely intends to keep its political hands off health. "Will giving power to frontline staff just pay lip service to 'doctors and nurses' or will they want to hear from and work with the real integrators of quality care, the AHPs?" he asked.
"And will quality of service to patients and the public be paramount?"
The SoR is also looking for clarity over the future of the Pay Review Body and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). "NICE frequently comes in for fierce criticism over its decisions and we'd like reassurance that it will not be involved in a 'bonfire of the quangos', promised by senior politicians in the past," said Richard.
