As his own website reports, John Pugh
proposes that the cluster groups of Primary Care Trusts that now temporarily run the local NHS could be the foundation for democratically controlled and clinically led Health Boards similar to those found in Northern Ireland. Such boards would control health and social care avoiding the expensive and disjointed shunting of elderly patients between the NHS and Social Services.
The MP states that he has received a very positive response to his proposals from clinical leaders and says: "It is important that we map out a new direction for the NHS that does not repeat the tired old prescription of more competition and the futile effort to treat the country's health service like a market.You can download the whole paper from the link above.
It is good to see some Lib Dem thinking on health that goes beyond calls to "Save the NHS", "Kill the Bill" and defend the status quo.
Coupled with the report on the future of policing that Tom Brake published the other day, it suggests that intellectual life is stirring on the party's backbenches.
2 comments:
The problem with his suggestion is that some of the temporary structures are being so badly run and organised that you would not want to see them let anywhere near the long term running of local NHS. You would have to turn them on their heads and rebuild them to make them work - so we are no better off than before.
But I agree - nice to see a positive suggestion rather than the nasty politicking that is alienating and confusing all of us voters out here.
In reply to liberal majority, why on earth do you think these temporary structures are in such a mess and who do you think is going to run the NHS after the bill is past, I really hope you don't think that people without experience are going to come in and manage one of the most complex systems in the world. Yes, it needs rebuilding but some of the bricks are in place, don't smash it down further and expect to arise like some pheonix from the ashes because it just won't. If you believe the private sector should run the NHS then please say and we can all go home and start avoiding illness.
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