NHS at 60
Posted by Lee Scott, MP for Ilford North, at 15:24, Wed 11 June 2008:
This is the 60th birthday of the National Health Service. We must recognise the dedication and professional commitment of the vast majority of its staff. However, we need an honest assessment of what we are getting right and what we are getting wrong in the NHS.
A recent review of heath services in London suggested a major reorganisation of hospital services in the capital and called for 150 new ‘polyclinics’ This will not improve the NHS and there are huge questions of how it could be funded. There will be huge cuts in services, our local GP surgeries will disappear and most patients would travel further for treatment. This is not what patients want.
There are key questions that need to be answered in a 21st century health service. These include how will we fund it, will we be able to end the ‘post code lottery’ on available treatments, do centrally imposed targets work, are there lessons we can learn from abroad? There are many more.
As a serving Member of Parliament I want to hear your views and experiences of the NHS.
Lee Scott
Comments
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Posted by Peter Flynn, 08:20, Thu 12 June 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
Polyclinics could work if properly thought out. Is 150 clinics for London enough? There are about 8000000 people in London therefore there would be c50000 per clinic so you would need Say 20 doctors per clinic. I would suggest more clinics and that they would be best sited adjacent to Supermarkets on the assumption that the supermarket is always sited in the most convenient place for the local populace and the carparking is useful.
Posted by Eamon O'Conchubhair, 10:51, Thu 12 June 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
If the goverment sorted out the it system for the NHS then it might be easier to plan - most people are happy with their GP's but commutters need more extended hours [prehaps GP's could band together to have a rotating surgery so that individual practices wouldn't have to extend too far but until they can transfer files between practices I don't see it improving