NHS 'to undergo radical overhaul'

[Horwood Beer-Master]

The Tories seem to have a pretty sucessful propaganda machine. Everything I've seen them do so far has been to do with shrinkage of the state, always cleverly disguised as something else.

Cleverly?

[Clinton Huxley]

Reading between the lines.....they are putting The Dawktor in charge of the NHS

[JimC]

I will give it 2 years before the first group of doctors (almost certainly of the islamic persuasion) are prosecuted for siphoning funds into their own accounts.

Now here I will have to disagree with you. Greed is an equal opportunity vice, and doctors of any (or no) religious persuasion are equally likely to succumb...

But Kevin's point is the salient one. What skills (and indeed energy) will busy doctors be able to utilise to effectively manage a complex, large business?

[Pappa]

The Tories seem to have a pretty sucessful propaganda machine. Everything I've seen them do so far has been to do with shrinkage of the state, always cleverly disguised as something else.

Cleverly?

Clever enough to dupe the plebes.

[klr]

I will give it 2 years before the first group of doctors (almost certainly of the islamic persuasion) are prosecuted for siphoning funds into their own accounts.

Now here I will have to disagree with you. Greed is an equal opportunity vice, and doctors of any (or no) religious persuasion are equally likely to succumb...

But Kevin's point is the salient one. What skills (and indeed energy) will busy doctors be able to utilise to effectively manage a complex, large business?

Answer: "None"

It's going from one extreme to another IMHO. From an over-complex, top-heavy centralised bureaucracy to something so decentralised that no-one knows where or how anything is going to end up.

Take something dear to my heart: IT. The NHS is currently enmeshed in the world's biggest IT project, and suffering from massive cost and time overruns.*

So what's going to happen in this brave new world? Is some or all of this project going to get axed? That may not be a bad thing in itself, but what's going to happen in it's stead? Is each local unit going to go its own way, resulting in massive duplication of effort, and a probable loss of interoperability in terms of systems and (worse still) data?

*Using the same project management methodology that I was forced to learn about last week, but that's another story.

[Trolldor]

Yeah, what a great idea guys. Instead of letting doctors with some assistence manage hosptials, let's get politicans or private businessmen do it. Everybody knows politicans or private businessmen are more suited to the task.

[Rum]

Can someone clarify for me, is this privitization of the NHS?

Its 'marketisation'. GP's will be looking for the best deals, cheapest delivery and so on. if they can't get it from existing providers the rules are being relaxed so that outside and/or private providers can get the contracts.

'Creeping' privatization I suppose.

[GrahamH]

It sounds like an horrendously expensive exercise.

[floppit]

I'm angry at all the twats who voted Tory! I mean FFS! What does it take to learn?

[klr]

I'm angry at all the twats who voted Tory! I mean FFS! What does it take to learn?

Oh, I'd say about 4 years and 10 months* of disruption and much worse besides.

*Aren't fixed-term parliaments wonderful?

[Coito ergo sum]

Why in the world would it need any overhauling or improvement?

I thought it was the medical system to which the rest of the world should aspire.

[Trolldor]

Why in the world would it need any overhauling or improvement?

I thought it was the medical system to which the rest of the world should aspire.

It doesn't, unless you're socially conservative, big business call girl.

[floppit]

I'm angry at all the twats who voted Tory! I mean FFS! What does it take to learn?

Oh, I'd say about 4 years and 10 months* of disruption and much worse besides.

*Aren't fixed-term parliaments wonderful?

You'd think - how long were they in last time? 79 - 97? Well I guess some of the national amnesia is about to get poked with a few blasts from the past! I mean - who the fuck actually thought Tories would protect the NHS?

[klr]

I'm angry at all the twats who voted Tory! I mean FFS! What does it take to learn?

Oh, I'd say about 4 years and 10 months* of disruption and much worse besides.

*Aren't fixed-term parliaments wonderful?

You'd think - how long were they in last time? 79 - 97? Well I guess some of the national amnesia is about to get poked with a few blasts from the past! I mean - who the fuck actually thought Tories would protect the NHS?

Even (New) Labour wouldn't protect the NHS. "Centres of Excellence", anyone?

There's a difference between making cuts/reorganising on rational grounds (we need to spend less/improve services), and doing the same on more ideological grounds, which is what I see happening here.

[floppit]

Can someone clarify for me, is this privitization of the NHS?

Its 'marketisation'. GP's will be looking for the best deals, cheapest delivery and so on. if they can't get it from existing providers the rules are being relaxed so that outside and/or private providers can get the contracts.

'Creeping' privatization I suppose.

It's the process I work in in social care and it's bloody chaos! 40 plus providers, mad scrabbling to retain the control, we still pay the bills and there's fuck all choice because it's a NEEDED service and capacity always falls short of the need. Competition drives prices low so many struggle to stay afloat or with quality and our tax buck is constantly shared with the share holders! Staff are still paid poorly, any spare money goes up and out.