"Does it basically say the NHS won't exist in 5 years?"
There are major mentions of financial targets in it, which could be an alternative way of saying the same thing S.
This link should be allowed, as it's a government website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/472043/final_consultation_doc.pdf
The problem with them saying some things that are sort of OK is that it doesn't really give the whole picture. It covers 7 days access to your GP appointments, for example, and mentions a luke warm attempt at 'trying' to get more equality between mental and physical health services. In my opinion, if it's not equal, it's not a target that will be hit. Vague mentions like that are pretty useless imo. They should be stating specifically that appointment and service targets will be equal.
They have divorced the NHS one step further away from the Health Secretary, so it also helps him/her (and the government) from accepting full and complete blame for when things go wrong: this started with the Health & Social Care Act 2012, which the Conservatives pushed through, immediately after coming to power in the last government. Remember the "No frontline cuts", "no top-down NHS reorganisations", "no VAT rise" ... and then within weeks of government started the NHS reorganisation, which led to the above legislation?
It means some work on our behalf, trying to work out what they're really saying, as well as reading between the lines, to see what the implications could be, if they follow this plan. We have until late on Monday to send in our feedback, so I'm going to reflect and research on it over the weekend.
Our NHS is too precious to be mismanaged, and the nation's health is vital, as any people not getting the care that they need is just inappropriate. The fact that the government is doing this and it's hardly been whispered about, suggests that they're not interested in the public's views on it. |
Going private, best decision I made in a long time 
