“This is about the standards you want to abide by as a country” So uttered Theresa May in defending a ‘carve out’ in a mythical trade agreement with the U.S. We do not know what these standards are. For all I know, the NHS could be about to launch innovations which are the equivalent of … Read more
Despite the legitimate protests against the continued fragmentation of the NHS in England and privatisation of services, a sensible look at the state of play confirms that we still have plenty of NHS to fight for and defend against further erosion. Against the clamour in some quarters that the (English) NHS has already been lost we … Read more
Recent months have seen three debates in parliament about NHS privatisation. The first in Westminster Hall (23 April) the second and third in the Commons, on Subsidiary Companies (20 March) and in an Opposition Day debate (23 May). None of them mentioned the role of the private sector in determining the direction of travel of … Read more
On 18 May, in its property section, the Guardian ran an article entitled ‘NHS privately planning to develop Royal Free nurses’ home into luxury flats.’ A week earlier the HSJ (paywalled) reported that University College London Hospital Foundation Trust boasted a £76m surplus after asset sales and a Sustainability and Transformation ‘bonus’. Most of … Read more
Oh no. In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. And NHS reorganisations. The next election could be in 2022, unless the current Tory government falls under the sword of Brexit. So, with all of the current government’s efforts being taken up with exiting the European Union, it might … Read more
Doctors advise that you shouldn’t stop suddenly certain drugs such as antidepressants for fear of severe discontinuation symptoms. Privatisation is a drug on which Government has been dependent in the UK for nearly 40 years, and we need to grit our teeth and come off the drug. In an era long ago, far predating the … Read more
3 challenges to the NHS on its 70th birthday. NHS embodies a set of key principles and values which are increasingly under attack. In an age of austerity, with widening social and economic inequality, and increasing intergenerational division, I argue that these principles are more relevant and necessary than ever. In this talk for a meeting of the East … Read more
On the 4th July, the National Health Service will celebrate its 70th birthday and there will be much fanfare and celebration. The NHS has been described as one of the greatest social achievements of the 20th century with its promise to care for the British people from cradle to grave. But all is not well. … Read more
The NHS, perhaps followed by the education system, is the part of the welfare state that we value the most; in fact we tend to forget that health and education are only a part of the whole welfare system; social security (or benefits) social care and social housing are the second class citizens of … Read more
Government policy on Accountable Care Organisations remains confused and confusing. The Health Select Committee’s recent grilling of Simon Stevens and Stephen Barclay shed little light on critics’ concerns, while the relative responsibilities of the Accountable Care Organisation and its commissioners remain murky, and subject to legal proceedings. What is clear, however, is that Accountable Care … Read more
MAY AND HUNT announced that this winter the NHS was the best prepared ever – a claim worthy of Trump. As the New Year began, stories of horrendous delays – waits for and in ambulances, patients sitting, standing or lying on trolleys in A&E corridors, long waits for hospital beds and treatment – shocked the … Read more
Dozens of hospital trusts across the country are looking at (or already have) set up private companies in which to transfer swathes of vital NHS staff and assets. The moves are supposedly to save money through a supposed VAT loophole designed to promote outsourcing, as well as on staff pay. They are also – an … Read more