A dose of reality
The top-down, centralised, target-driven culture has driven front-line clinicians in our NHS to despair. Labour’s interference and obsessive centralisation has now led to the tenth reorganisation of the NHS since it came to power nine years ago. Yet speaking on Radio 4 yesterday, Health Secretary Alan Johnson defended these Government targets. I for one know someone who would completely disagree; my constituent, Mrs Townsend who suffers from a chronic pain problem – osteoporosis.
Despite millions of pounds being poured into our hospitals, it is staggering that there are no resources available to Mrs Townsend for subsequent pain relief. This was confirmed to me by the Chief Executive of West Suffolk Hospital who explained that the hospital is unable to move her up the waiting list. This was all brought to my attention by Mrs Townsend’s consultant, Dr Rajesh Munglani (and confirmed by her GP) who explained that “unfortunately due to the intense pressures on the service caused by Government obsession with targets focusing on new patients and initial treatments, it means that the times for follow up appointments and second and subsequent treatments are extremely prolonged.”
Pain clinics are being cut back or closed down, he told me, because the 18 week first appointment target has become so important that clinical judgment has been suspended. It is sheer madness and consultants up and down the country are furious.
NHS money needs to start going straight to the doctors and clinicians at the frontline, without distorting interference along the way. And it should go where it is needed. These decisions have a real life impact on many people across the country, and no bland assurances by Government ministers can alter that fact.