I was speaking to my GP last week, and she mentioned the English Health Service reforms, saying that all her practice colleagues were hoping that they would never come to Scotland. I feel the same way. I want her doctoring, not managing, and even more so now that she told me she was pretty useless at admin, but I know she’s a smart cookie when it comes to healing.
It seems that many people in England feel the same way about the English health secretary Andrew Lansley's plans. His scheme has united doctors, health think tanks (and the right-of-centre think tank Civitas), unions representing the 1.4m-strong NHS workforce, health academics, MPs on the health select committee, the NHS's major employers, and patients' representatives in opposition.
Even David Cameron's brother-in-law, an NHS cardiologist, thinks the government has got it wrong, but predictably Mr Lansley and Mr Cameron intend to press on regardless, certain as they are, that they know best.
I’d be interested in finding out what other people think about this, particularly if you are English and are going to have to live or die by the totally new NHS that will emerge, and in any case, is this the right time to start messing about with something that will certainly cost a vast amount of money to set up?
It seems that many people in England feel the same way about the English health secretary Andrew Lansley's plans. His scheme has united doctors, health think tanks (and the right-of-centre think tank Civitas), unions representing the 1.4m-strong NHS workforce, health academics, MPs on the health select committee, the NHS's major employers, and patients' representatives in opposition.
Even David Cameron's brother-in-law, an NHS cardiologist, thinks the government has got it wrong, but predictably Mr Lansley and Mr Cameron intend to press on regardless, certain as they are, that they know best.
I’d be interested in finding out what other people think about this, particularly if you are English and are going to have to live or die by the totally new NHS that will emerge, and in any case, is this the right time to start messing about with something that will certainly cost a vast amount of money to set up?
But also if you are Scottish. The NHS has been carefully protected by the current government in Scotland. Is this a good thing? Do you think that it is fit for purpose in the 21st century, or has this government ignored the facts, as explained by Cameron, that in its current state, the NHS will simply not be able to survive? What do Scottish Tories think about their English colleagues' plans? And if you are Welsh or Irish, what kind of NHS do you have, and should it change?These are extremely important issues for the whole of the UK, lives being dependent upon them. I have no idea what Labour’s proposals would be for the Health Service, but I feel that this will be an important issue in the debates leading to our General Election.
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