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Cameron: My patient power plan to replace the NHS target culture
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor2 Nov 2009
David Cameron promised to expand "patient power" today as he set out a Tory government's priorities for the NHS.
The Conservative leader said the health service was one of the few areas that would be protected from spending cuts if he wins the election next year. He could not maintain public support for a wider spending squeeze if he failed to protect the NHS, he said.
But Mr Cameron used a speech to the Royal College of Pathologists to head off claims that the Tories would accept the "status quo" for the NHS. He pledged to slash bureaucracy by a third in four years - equivalent to £1.5 billion - and claimed "a Conservative pound will go much further than a Labour pound". It was "astonishing" that the NHS spent £4.5 billion on administration, enough to pay for 50,000 doctors.
Mr Cameron said the Tories would impose a moratorium on closures of A&E units, maternity units and district general hospitals, and halt any reorganisation plans that are under way.
He said his party would boost foundation trusts and give the private sector an equal chance to bid for NHS work. The Tory leader criticised Health Secretary Andy Burnham, who last week admitted that he wanted the NHS to always be the "preferred provider" of health services.
Mr Cameron said he wanted to end the targets culture for doctors and nurses, but added: "Some people think that by promising more power to professionals we are privileging them over the patient Freedom for professionals will not mean a free rein to do as they please, unaccountable to anyone. No: instead of answering to the bureaucrats and the politicians, they will be answering to you, the patient.
"The boss won't be some pen-pusher at a distant PCT but the woman who needs a cataract operation, the parent of the child in A&E, the man given physiotherapy as an outpatient after a stroke. That's because all the information on hospitals' performance will be published online, in detail from the success they've had with heart transplants, to cancer survival rates, to how patients rate their quality of care."
Mr Cameron said this information will be backed up by patient choice about where they go to get their treatment.
Reader views (5)
But Mr Cameron used a speech to the Royal College of Pathologists to head off claims that the Tories would accept the "status quo" for the NHS. He pledged to slash bureaucracy by a third in four years - equivalent to £1.5 billion - and claimed "a Conservative pound will go much further than a Labour pound". It was "astonishing" that the NHS spent £4.5 billion on administration, enough to pay for 50,000 doctors.
Well it should be remembered that BEFORE Thatcher England had 90 Health Authorities that actually ran the entire NHS.
sThe conservatives then changed this by bringing in hundreds of NHS trust and despite their smaller role the 90 HAs were split into nearly 200 HAs - Talk about Humpty Dumpty politics!!
But they did the same with British Rail which became hundreds of different bodies and it was only when the body count from crashes through negligent management of the railways was approaching the hundreds did Labour have to replace Privatised Railtrack with Not for profit Network Rail which had to clear up the tory mess.
As for targets thats about patients having a right to see GP's, Specialist etc within set time frames perhaps Cameron shoud say what is wrong with this and why he wont guarantee action which has saved lives?
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 03/11/2009 15:09
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I seem to recall Margaret Thatcher bringing Managers from the Private Sector in to the NHS to cut waste and to improve the service. The only effect was to outsource cleaning to the lowest bidder to save money. This led to dirty hospitals and infections. Now the Heir to Thatcher is going to reverse her policies. Will he succeed in both saving money and improving the NHS?
- D Dare, Kenton England, 03/11/2009 10:05
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NHS target culture was the most cynical, ill thought out, poorly planned of all scheming disastrous schemes. It succeeded mostly in driving administration staff and medical staff across the spectrum, to circumvent the waiting list times by lying, cheating and distorting any way they could to keep up the nonsensical target goals. It made small people of those with a moral compass.
How low can you get when anxious worried patients, gear themselves up for operations, big and small, only to have them cancelled at the very last minute. Several times in succession. When all along it's known that the cancellations are due to squeezing in other targets who are further up the list. How cynical is it to be given a date for a procedure/operation when the date is only 'on paper' and the cancellations follow on from staff having to 'seem' to treat you within a target time. Smoke and mirrors thinking, worthy of only some far gone banana republic's operational style.
- Jill, Milton Keynes, 02/11/2009 14:58
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What does an Old Etonian multi-millionaire know about using the NHS? Though same could be said of London Regional Assembly.
Answer:- Britain is in the process of turning into 12 Regional Assemblies, each will have its own RHS Regional Health Service, Police, Post. If in doubt just ask Ken.
- Bill, Hay~Heath UK, 02/11/2009 13:00
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Fine words, but historically all political parties have failed to modernise the NHS. For too long though we have suffered the rhetoric of Nulabour with lots of money spent to absolutely no effect. What is needed is a long term solution outside of the political arena. The NHS needs joined up thinking for the next 50 years, not just what it takes to get through the next election.
- Dannyp, Egham, 02/11/2009 11:17
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