Wednesday 19 January 2011

NHS reform "smacks of ideological fervour, with theory placed above pragmatism"

The quote in the title of this post, incidentally, was produced in a Daily Mail comment piece. It's indicative of just how widespread opposition is to the speed and scale of Andrew Lansley's NHS reforms.

Today, the papers are yet again full of concerns from a disparate range of groups and individuals, from the Nuffield Trust, to Civitas, to Daily Mail columnists.

The letter below, printed in the Guardian, from the Co-chair of the NHS Consultants' Association, sums the mood up neatly:

David Cameron claims that GPs signing up for pilot schemes is proof of their enthusiasm for the reforms (Cameron to sell NHS reforms with glowing tribute to doctors and GPs, 17 January). Far from it. They are watching the infrastructure of the NHS implode before their eyes and trying to hold it together. They are holding their noses and engaging in reforms which are being enacted before the bill has even reached parliament, which is in itself surely unconstitutional.
Andrew Lansley and Cameron will find it easy to shatter the NHS but, like Humpty Dumpty, it will be impossible to put together again. Politicians who make a mess of the NHS will not be forgiven by the electorate, but sadly it will be the patients who suffer.

Jacky Davis
Co-chair, NHS Consultants' Association

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror has more on the significant donations given to the Tory party from private healthcare companies.

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