More on Burnham’s recent politics
Civitas, 28 September 2009
The Health Service Journal has a thorough article explaining the further spread of confusion over the Government’s recent revelation of preference for NHS over independent healthcare providers. Could the Department of Health’s commitment to choice and competition truly be unravelling?
Maybe not, but at a time when the NHS is struggling financially, perhaps Labour decided it would be a smart political move to advocate devoting all possible resources to the health service–and just in time to rally support at the current party conference. It does seem unwise to backtrack on seven years of pro-competition policy, as the HSJ explains.
The article states:
“Muddled thinking is evident. The crucial passage in Mr Burnham’s speech begins by saying NHS providers are preferred to those from outside the service, but the subsequent wording on allowing the existing provider to get its act together seems to apply even if the PCT wanted to move from one NHS trust to another [as opposed to from an NHS to a private provider]. When asked for clarification on the implications of Mr Burnham’s speech, the DH said there had been no change to the world class commissioning regime.”