Tory’s NHS reforms going in the right direction?

David Cameron with Health Secretary Andrew Lansley (right)

As a fully-paid Conservative member it pains me to say that I do not agree with their plans to completely overhaul the NHS. I do agree that the NHS needs to be reviewed and reforms need to be made, but The Health and Social Care Bill, in my opinion, is not the answer.

The Bill will see large amounts of public sector work being transferred to the private sector, and alarmingly, allowing GPs themselves to manage their own budgets and to decide treatments accordingly. The idea of such a notion is to remove the vast amounts of bureaucracy that clog up the NHS, wasting its already crippled budget on needless layering, with managers being paid a lot to do a little – an idea that is welcomed among many citizens, including myself.

But I’m not so sure that allowing the GPs to manage their own budgets is the answer. The government have made assurances that doctors will never feel the need to choose cheaper, less effective treatments for patients, to crunch the numbers. Yet, how can they guarantee this? If I’m a GP and one treatment will force me over my budget for the month, whilst the alternative (which of course isn’t as good) will allow me to stay on target, which one am I going to choose?! It’s obvious.

Furthermore, no mention has been made of any changes to the training that GPs and medical students will receive to actually implement these changes. Are the doctors going to be taught basic accountancy skills? Is basic accountancy going to have to be added to an already demanding seven-year long degree course to become a doctor?

If the government want long-term plans to save money with the NHS, they need to think bigger than this. They need to think of more effective ways of increasing the efficiency of every aspect of the institution, not just budget control. They need to consider easier ways of making appointments, more drop-in clinics, more contact time with patients to avoid mistaken diagnoses which are becoming all too common. Now I’m not going to sit here and ‘GP bash’ because it is far too common, it’s unfair and it’s unproductive. But it has to be said, if the government want productivity improved, they need to make sure their doctors get off of Google when making their diagnosis and actually focus on the patient themselves.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley says that the unions criticising these plans, namely the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives, are an example of them just “want[ing] to have a go at the government”. I think there might be a little bit more to it than that Andrew!

Improving the efficiency of the NHS isn’t just based on crunching the numbers and reducing the deficit (although of course being a Tory, deficit reduction is one of my main economic policy beliefs), it’s about actually improving the care and treatment that patients receive. I hope the government doesn’t forget such a simple fact.   

  

Fergie: To buy or not to buy?

Sir Alex Ferguson shocked us all just over a week ago with the announcement of Paul Scholes coming out of retirement, as Manchester United’s solitary signing so far in this January transfer window – a move that has left some United fans excited, whilst leaving others scratching their heads.

The previous summer was marked by the Red Devils by making three major signings in the mould of Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David de Gea at a cost of around £50million. Although, the major debate surrounding the club was not so much about the players they had acquired, it was the one they had not, namely the creative midfield player - Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder.

Fergie’s logic was clear: The young Tom Cleverley is the future of the club and spending £30million+ on a 27 year old is not part of the long term plans. However, after being propelled straight into the first-team, and a blistering start to the season, Cleverley has found himself on the sidelines as a long term injury absentee. And it must be said, United’s midfield has been lacking something ever since.

We now find ourselves in the January transfer window; a time when Sir Alex has previously warned fans that he will not do business that doesn’t represent good value for the club. And the news travels that Paul Scholes has signed a deal that will see him play for the club until the end of the season, revealing he missed football after retiring in the summer of 2011.

So what does this deal represent for United? A lack of money to spend? A failure to attract the talent required? Probably a bit of both. It is common knowledge that the red side of Manchester are no longer the club with the largest financial clout in the Premier League. But it is clear there is money to be spent when the right player at the right age can be found.

So don’t be surprised if this summer, Manchester United spend big money on a creative central midfield player. But also don’t be surprised if he’s not yet the finished product. Because United have one advantage over many of their rivals, a vast scouting network that can uncover gems like Javier Hernandez for £6million. Because of United’s financial situation, resale value is now crucial for every player they sign. Young players like Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, purchased for a combined value of £28million, will be worth that each in a few years to come – the long term game is the one United play now, one that requires patience from fans. Especially at the current time, when the squad are clearly in transition, and a changing of the ‘old guard’ is taking place.   

But for any worried United fans, the future is bright, and they will continue to attract young, talented players – just beware that Barcelona and Real Madrid will be watching them; although another £80million or so doesn’t sound so bad does it..?