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Lord Darzi's report is out today. He writes;
‘Although I have worked in the NHS for more than 30 years, I have been shocked by what I have found during this investigation - not just in the health service but in the state of the nation’s health.’
He can’t be. He cannot be shocked. I don’t believe it. Anyone and everyone working in the NHS knows full well the state it’s in.
The report is elegant and an easy read with graphs and graphics which will delight the PowerPoint makers.
But, we know this stuff. The public who may not know the detail, know. Every time they visit a hospital or GP practice, know the NHS is struggling. Everyone on a waiting lists knows its busting a gut.
So the question is, 'what now'? What is the point of the report?
If it is to buy Charmer time, to fiddle about with a ten year plan (expected next year) that will be out of date in a couple of years - then there is no point.
If it is to beat the Tories over the head, why bother. They've gone.
We know and Darzi confirms it, austerity, Lansley's lunacy and covid did for the NHS. He doesn't mention the strikes... but they didn't help, either.
With the exception of Covid, all the problems were made in Westminster. By politicians. What is the chance of another lot of politicians fixing it?
For a government to profess they have no choice but to cut yer granny's winter fuel allowance, where are they going to find the money to fix the NHS and look after her, when she falls victim to the cold.
What happens now?
The truth is… dunno.
We can't wait for another report, a plan, a strategy. The subtext of this report is, fixing the NHS is urgent.
The report makes much of ‘building a healthy society’. Good idea but it's nothing to do with the NHS. That’s the job of housing, environment, employment, education, food standards and safe neighbourhoods.
To get that lot to march instep is to reform government, not the NHS.
Moving care out of hospital? It's fashionable to put convenience over cost. To do it you'll need to change the tariff and disrupt Trusts fixed costs. Accept the double running costs of duplication between hospitals and the community.
Give The Chancellor a heart attack at the capital costs of expanding the primary care estate and a huge investment in kit-n-caboodle.
Don't mention the cost of training an expanding the workforce.
The report tells us, the principle problem that's hobbled the NHS; austerity funding. The principle solution will be sensible funding and for a government that 'has no money' it's difficult to see where HMG goes.
Where's the value in this report? There's value in everyone knowing, I suppose? But, we know, the real value will be in the doing. How will that work. What will Labour do now?
Where's the plan to get 7.6m people off the waiting lists. The absolute people’s priority. All Labour have is a cockamamie idea to get people doing a bit of overtime.
Where's the plan to disaggregate waiting lists. Focus on the sectors and geography of highest demand and laser-guide resources.
Where's the plan to improve working conditions; Creche, car parking, 24-7 fresh food, flexi-rota, discounted home-loans.
Where's the plan to keep people; student debt-forgiveness, modernise medical training, family friendly employers.
Where's the plan to get IT working; with single log-in, data normalised, interoperable.
Where is the hiring blitz for analysts to make data talk and tell us what to do better.
Where's the plan for bursaries to encourage the next generation of care workers in an international market that already has desperate shortages.
Where's the plan to get the basics working and...
... the most important of all, where's the plan to fix social care?
I fear, for the foreseeable, Darzi will be HMG's human shield. The go-to excuse... 'we are working on a plan...'
The NHS is broken? That’s why Labour was elected… to fix it.
They said they could. They said they were sleeves rolled-up ready…
… they’d better get started.
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