Lansley's headache becomes a migraine
Peter Hoskin 11:06am
Now that the three party leaders have each pronounced on capitalism, domestic politics
is returning to its familiar battlegrounds. And there are few more familiar battlegrounds, for this government, than the NHS. Earlier this week a couple of unions came out completely against Andrew Lansley's health reforms, despite his previous
efforts to accommodate their concerns. And now we learn that the Commons health select committee, chaired by the former Tory Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell, is set to criticise those reforms as
well. According to the Observer, a report that they're publishing this week will raise a common
complaint: that it's tricky for the NHS to both reorganise and find efficiencies at the same time.
When the health select committee last made a prominent intervention in the debate, and called for Lansley's local ‘GP consortia’ to include people other than GPs, the government basically acquiesced to their demands. But this time, I imagine, it will be a little different. Now that Lansley has already gone through the rigmarole of pausing, listening, engaging and all that, it would be deeply embarrassing for him to have to stall his plans once again. He is likely to be more resistent to this second major uprising against his health reforms.
But such resistence will also cause problems, not least because it means Lansley's opponents will keep attacking his Health Bill from all sides. One thing to look out for is whether any more Lib Dems follow Andrew George's example, and call for it to be shelved. Another is whether this has any implications for Lansley's career. It's a funny thing, Dorrell has been frequently linked to the Health Secretary's job — and installing Dorrell could give No.10 just the excuse it may need to start again on health reform. In the meantime, the current Health Secretary has a struggle on to communicate his reforms, and for his own sake as well as theirs.
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Holly ......
January 22nd, 2012 11:25am Report this commentI'm on a 'boil it down' mission.
Dorrell thinks it's 'tricky', but does not say impossible, to reform & make savings at the same time, instead of thinking it might be beneficial in the long term for them to happen at the same time, thus avoiding more upheaval at a future date.
Public sector bods do tend to make things drag on, so say three years to make the savings..takes us to 2013/14 and then start on the reforms..2014/15 = NHS/Lansley FAIL.
All those words typed out,to say nowt of any relevance. With the usual titbit thrown in about a cabinet post...How original.
Anan
January 22nd, 2012 11:27am Report this commentList of ministers to be sacked due to their total failure and buffoonery:
Lansley, Clarke, Huhne.
Dave B
January 22nd, 2012 11:57am Report this commentI think Lansley himself has said that a new Bill is not necessary, the reforms are possible under existing legislation.
(I think he's said this both in a parliamentary debate, and answering a select committee. But I can't find a link for it!)
Semper eadem
January 22nd, 2012 12:05pm Report this commentI can't decide which one Lansley reminds me more of: a passed over major or a passed over for head of department geography teacher in a minor public school.
I am completely unsurprised that such a character can make it to ministerial rank in today's conservative party of many talents.
Heartless Curmudgeon
January 22nd, 2012 12:13pm Report this commentStephen Dorrell . . . Stephen Dorrell!? . . . STEPHEN DORRELL !!??
Oh wow!
Widmerpool
January 22nd, 2012 12:48pm Report this comment@anan
You should have added Cable.
What has he really acheived Trade?
He seems to spend more time grandstanding on issues like tax which are none of his business at Trade.
Get a real money maker into Trade someone who wants to make millionaires not tax them!
Cllr Francis Lankester
January 22nd, 2012 1:42pm Report this commentThe NHS must be the only organisation in the country which cannot reform and save money at the same time. Everyone else does it.
Bill Eyre
January 22nd, 2012 2:37pm Report this commentWe already have the most efficient health system in the world:
http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2011/08/08/surprise-report-nhs-most-efficient-healthcare
So what exactly is Lansley playing at?
Bill Eyre
January 22nd, 2012 2:39pm Report this commentThere have been several studies that found we have the most efficient health system in the world - so what is the point throwing billions away trying to fundamentally change it to a less efficient system?
David L
January 22nd, 2012 2:52pm Report this commentLet's see if I've got this right. The NHS, according to its Chief Executive, needs to reduce its costs by £15-20 Billion to be able to afford to take on the foreseeable extra costs of an ageing population and new drugs.
The Dorrell view is that it is wrong to be scrapping 150 Primary Care Trusts - whose role is to a large extent administrative - transferring their commissioning role to GP consortia - rather like the GP fundholding system that obtained when Dorrell was a health Minister.
Seems a reasonable way to me to start to make the savings.
Holly ......
January 22nd, 2012 2:56pm Report this commentCllr Francis Lankester.1.42.
Reforms = Savings = Job done at the same time?
Anan
January 22nd, 2012 4:03pm Report this comment@Widmerpool.
You're right. Cable's such a non-entity that I forgot his existence.
Salisbury
January 22nd, 2012 5:04pm Report this comment@David L
Don't you believe it. The PCTs will be replaced by a number of commissioning groups greater than 150 which will, over time if not initially, come to resemble them in all but name. They will employ all of the managers, and probably even more, that were displaced from the old system.
Gradually the commissioning groups will start to merge (in the name of efficiency and cost-saving don't you know) until there are probably about 150 of them. Then some future bright spark of a health secretary will come along and say that it is time to "devolve decision-making to the front line", and the whole ghastly, circular process will begin all over again. There will be no savings.
TomTom
January 22nd, 2012 5:27pm Report this comment"There have been several studies that found we have the most efficient health system in the world "
From a Treasury standpoint of being low cost for universal coverage; but from a Patient Standpoint it is grossly Inefficient. It depends what you want - as cheap basic mass healthcare it works especially for those non-workers, but if you want what you pay for it is poor value.
It is simply that the Working Population are paying for a lot of Leisured Class Lifesstyle issues
chestcracker
January 22nd, 2012 11:43pm Report this commentThere is no going back with or without Lansley. The structural changes needed to enact the bill are already in place and probably did not need any legislation in the first place. He tried to do the right thing and got shafted for his efforts.
TrevorsDen
January 23rd, 2012 8:01am Report this commentGenerally speaking you need to reform to save money.
Butn there are two different objectives. GP commissioning and all that goes with it - local clinics for instance - arwe about treatment and improving outcomes.
Eficciency savings are about doing the same and better with less.
The key words in the leaked report are 'we have been told' ie interested parties are spinning their own line.
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