THE Government has announced their aim of shaking up how the National Health Service is run in England. The implications will certainly be of great interest to anyone concerned about what will happen to the hospital facilities in Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
The way in which the announcement was made is interesting. First, Conservative Minister Andrew Lansley MP revealed his intentions on how to fund the NHS. The main thrust of his big idea is to give the dosh to doctors, who spend money with hospitals for the benefit of their patients.
Not surprisingly, the NHS staff and the public kicked up in no small measure, fearing these changes would damage the essence of how the NHS works. Such was the clamour that the Government found itself forced into a hasty retreat, with the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister sharing a platform to calm the nerves of a suspicious health sector.
It’s hardly surprising this was the reaction. When the Conservatives were LAST in power, thousands of hospital beds were lost and many in the Health Service became convinced that the secret agenda of the Tories was to privatise health as much as they could. Echoes of these concerns were heard again – hence the speedy reaction by the Government to announce a long consultation period on the matter.
I personally believe that the apparent delay in implementation is a refreshing example of what the Lib Dems can do by virtue of being in Government. Without them, there’s a good chance the Tories would have soldiered on through the criticism and worry – and without slowing down. I hope I’m right in thinking that the existence of the coalition caused them to demur from such a dogmatic position, allowing a more reflective approach to the proposals.
What happens next is unpredictable. A lot of professional health commentators are dubious about the changes; and it will take a lot of convincing before the hard pressed NHS staff feel reassured. Also, it’s hard to see how this change can be made smoothly: I know from my own experience that any dramatic shifts are fraught with danger. So the Ministers need to tread carefully.
For now, the consultation better be a real one. The NHS is regarded as the crown jewels of the welfare state. The Tories have never seemed as enthusiastic about it as the other main parties. The Lib Dems have probably helped temper the privatising instincts of Cameron & Co.
But the instincts are still there – and if they begin to look like the nasty party of privatisation again, they’ll very quickly find themselves in big trouble once again.