Understandable it may be it also regrettable because The NHS is too important to play politics with It would be best served if we had a national coalition for it.
After all there is general consensus that increasing demand from our aging population will continue to keep the NHS under huge financial strain. But unlike other departments the problems within it cannot be resolved by cuts and efficiency savings We know this because successive governments have tried and time and again and failed
Each time there is a change of government the NHS is subjected to a moving of the deck chairs exercise The latest so called reforms brought in by the Conservatives, despite some gentle protests from the Liberal Democrats increased competition, gave health officials more autonomy and handed control over the purchase of care to groups of local doctors.
Few independent analysts say these changes have helped deliver improved heath care or cost reductions
True, some aspect, like integration of services and moving some care out of hospitals to home have made a positive difference Now Labour and Liberal Democrats want to merge the NHS with “social care” Such a move would probably involve another reorganisation a huge cost and be unsettling for staff and deliver few improvements
Then there is the constant squabbling over budgets NHS spending is up 3.6% in real terms since the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government came to power in 2010 But with 3m people still waiting for care, the highest total in six years, more is needed. Even if spending keeps up with inflation, the NHS claims its budget may fall short by £30 billion a year by 2021.In the face of these projections the Parties are busy out bidding each other with spending promises
Labour says it would boost the NHS’s budget by £2.5 billion a year if it wins the next election. The Conservatives say they would continue with real-term increases, which have averaged £1 billion a year so far And the Liberal Democrats say they will spend one billion more than our coalition partners. But according to experts that will not be enough
England spends just over 6% of national income on the NHS. If the current rate of demand on our health service continues that figure could rise to 20% and account for half of government spending if there is to be any hope of closing the funding gap. by 2061 say health experts
NHS Chief Executive Simon Stevens published a paper last October which contained some interesting proposals on managing our NHS in the years ahead I think this report provides a rare opportunity for the three major Parties to examine the recommendations jointly and then agree a common implementation programme
Politicians putting aside Party interest for the sake of the health of the nation and working together to simply to make us all healthier Now that would be something to celebrate regardless of which Party has the most seats on May 8th.
