Posted by Colleen on Monday, 16 October 2006 23:35:36

NH YES! Stop Brown's Cuts. Great campaign idea! Brown's threatening our hospital with cuts here in Harlow . Can Harlow have some of your posters?

Posted by darrylbeckford on Tuesday, 17 October 2006 09:19:19

Ok, I get the message: hospitals are being closed, and wards & beds are being lost.So where is all the "record investment" going? Tone keeps telling us that Labour have put more cash than ever into the NHS - where on earth has it all gone?

Posted by GordPost on Tuesday, 17 October 2006 10:38:07

Haven't Labour put a lot more money into the NHS? How much would you put in, David?

Posted by MrBen on Tuesday, 17 October 2006 12:12:25

I am not sure it is necessarily the amount of money being put in, per se - but rather, how it is used and distributed; there is a lot of waste and unnecessary beurocracy going on in the NHS which costs a great deal of money. If this can be a) used for more appropriate things - such as patient care (NHS food!!!!;-)), beds and ops. and b) the money being controlled more by the trusts/hospitals themselves - rather than the governement, then it could result in a more efficient (and accountable) NHS sevice...I think! I think if we can make NHS staff more accountable for waste and money, then they will be more inclined to take more responsibility for this money and waste. Just to point out, as well as a student, I also work for the NHS. ps, David - nice to see the sun shining in Chippy; but you've not answered my post from a previous blog, on the environment!! Shock, horror! :-). Ben. Disclaimer: I am neither an economist or a politician, but the above is just the way I see things! :-).

Posted by Giles on Tuesday, 17 October 2006 12:51:25

I think Labour's billions have all gone on a dodgy IT system, haven't they?Brown's answer to everything he cares about - throw money at it... Investment? Rubbish!

Posted by LeeFriend on Tuesday, 17 October 2006 16:24:31

I applied for an NHS job with the Westminster Primary Health Trust as an Intranet Manager; I had an interview and they said verbally that they were going to employ me, as they needed a replacement for their manager who had left. 5 weeks later, I had a phone call back saying that now they couldn't employ me because because the NHS needed to employ more important medical staff; While I agree that this is the case, the NHS must not forgot that losing other areas of the NHS such as an Intranet manager could me problems such as inaccurate data. I do agree that the IT external contracts made by the NHS were badly managed.

Posted by Phorest on Wednesday, 18 October 2006 11:18:58

You've got our full support on this one David. Good job!

Posted by ToryxGirl on Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:12:21

Thats what we need, more in your face, in your local area campaigning on things like the NHS, I am annoyed about many old-school Socialists still banging on about the 1980s and even before that, they seem to be oblivious to what is going on now and how Brown is responsible for the mess the NHS is despite what Patricia Hewitt may claim.But I have a question... Before seeing this on here and on the main site I never even heard/saw anything about it locally in the SW, not to say it hasn't been down or won't be done at a later date I've just not seen anything of it. In Bristol which is I guess the closest city to me there is talks of closures of hospitals and all that so I can imagine a campaign such as this would have gone down very well and indeed in many other areas around the SW.This is something I have noticed; that things don't seem to happen simultaneously on a national scale, which I think would be a good thing as it shows that the entire country is being affected and the Conservative Party want to tackle it nationally - no area is forgotten.What are you views on this?

Posted by TheMountaineer on Wednesday, 18 October 2006 18:31:23

David
I realise this may be "off message", but what's your view on Chinese police/soldiers shooting down Tibetan refugees crossing into Nepal towards Darjeeling to see the Dalai Lama this week http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?news=15205 I come from a generation that protested about East German border guards shooting similar people fleeing to the West, and look what that led to. Isn't it time we stood up to a country that on the one hand has execution squads touring the country, but on the other hand is staging the next olympics .............. which I think should be boycotted. Too much of a hot potato .........??
Brian

Posted by DrGillB on Wednesday, 18 October 2006 19:28:09

Dear David, Firstly Belated Birthday Wishes!
The NHS will not survive under these constant reorganisations-not only at great cost, but the effect of demoralising the staff who work in the service. Once upon a time,when I first qualified,staff would often go that extra mile for the patient and the NHS,working beyond contracted hours etc for the benefit of the patient. These days,staff morale within the NHS is at such a low point,that one does the job and gets home as quickly as possible. The good will that existed has been destroyed by the constant interference by politicians and non clinical managers who look only at targets and disregard the whole true spectrum of what "health care" really means.NHS staff are constantly berated and put under increasing pressures to meet frequently"clinically" unnecessary targets, but ones that suit political ends and motives.The vast majority of health care workers do their very best for the patient under severe pressures and lack of resources but feel undermined and undervalued by the continual changes and reorganisations, for what appears to be no good reason the majority of the time.
Access to GP's or another health professional is a point of contention. The current policies are not based on clinical need, but on consumerist ideals,such as apply to 24 hour shopping at Tesco's. Health care can't be equated to supermarket shopping and is far more personal and sensitive than buying a loaf of bread when it suits you! Yet there seems to be this trend by the govt to set up GP surgeries in Supermarkets where you get your sore throat seen to as you do weekly shopping!! Where is continuity of patient care? What would that doctor who sees that patient know about that patient and their other medical problems? The concept of the old fashioned GP has demised and thankfully so (in that it is impossible to offer a 24 hour service and still consult safely the next day)-but I still believe the majority of patients would prefer to see their own GP than a supermarket one. But please base on clinical need not convenience!!
Hope you looking into these issues
Gill (a GP who still hanging in there)

Posted by RichardSolomon on Saturday, 21 October 2006 09:55:43

Dear Mr. Cameron, OurPetition.org believes Britain can and should have a world-class NHS free at the point of delivery. Yet devolution of power to an Independent NHS Board might unnecessarily jeopardise the health of the nation by shifting ultimate accountability away from policymakers. To prevent this from happening I ask for you to reconsider your previous decision not to join the 49 policymakers who have already signed the health petition that is the ‘acid test’ of MP support for the NHS. The petition organised by OurPetition.org asks that: ‘elected representatives of all UK political parties voluntarily refrain from self-paid or insurance-paid medical care treatment.' Through public acknowledgement of your commitment always to use the NHS policymakers will be confronting head-on the working patterns, practice and customs that are the heart of many capacity issues that have never been challenged before. Turnaround within the NHS at the cultural level requires a courageous leadership willing to issue more than rhetorical 3 letter mission statements. It requires policymakers to become change-masters capable of impassioning the 1 million NHS staff & consultants entrusted with healthcare delivery. Those in the frontline trenches of the NHS will be motivated to do better once they know those at the top respect and depend on their services not just for minor ailments but serious illness as well. To help ensure that Britain secures a world-class NHS free at the point of delivery and that devolution never equates to policymaker absolution I urge all MPs to sign the 'acid test' of MP support. To do so simply send me an email asking that your name be added to the petition at [email protected] . If you do not intend to sign, perhaps you would kindly explain why? Sincerely, Richard Solomon
Campaign Organiser
www.ourpetiton.org