Government Is Easy, Isn't It?

[hilltop]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jun/25/nhs-review-treasury-stonewalls

Apparently Health Secretary Lansley's idea of putting the NHS budget in the hands of GPs has its problems.

The American experience is that such a system leads to bankrupt GPs, and theft.

It is becoming a hallmark of the Libcons that their fancy ideas are unravelling in the harsh light of practicality.

Will cuts go the same way?

[Potwalloper]

http://www.guardian....sury-stonewalls

Apparently Health Secretary Lansley's idea of putting the NHS budget in the hands of GPs has its problems.

The American experience is that such a system leads to bankrupt GPs, and theft.

It is becoming a hallmark of the Libcons that their fancy ideas are unravelling in the harsh light of practicality.

Will cuts go the same way?

Actually, I think they are turning out to be absolute smashers.

[interestrateripoff]

Nothing is full proof.

[Timm]

Nothing is full proof.

Quit.

[Guest tbatst2000]

http://www.guardian....sury-stonewalls

Apparently Health Secretary Lansley's idea of putting the NHS budget in the hands of GPs has its problems.

The American experience is that such a system leads to bankrupt GPs, and theft.

It is becoming a hallmark of the Libcons that their fancy ideas are unravelling in the harsh light of practicality.

Will cuts go the same way?

Some small number of people are incompetent and/or dishonest so the only solution is to put everything in the hands of central government because, as we all know, central government is always competent and 100% honest. Idiot.

[Guest sillybear2]

They could start by making GP's work a minimum number of out hours cover in return for their plush contracts and inflation busting pay rises. They ran rings around the last labour government, the Department of Health caved in quicker than a French army unit.

[daniel stallion]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jun/25/nhs-review-treasury-stonewalls

Apparently Health Secretary Lansley's idea of putting the NHS budget in the hands of GPs has its problems.

The American experience is that such a system leads to bankrupt GPs, and theft.

It is becoming a hallmark of the Libcons that their fancy ideas are unravelling in the harsh light of practicality.

Will cuts go the same way?

I'm pleasantly surprised that the coalition are willing to change their minds, compromise, re-think ... at least in some cases.

Far better than the 13 years of being told that despite overwhelming and indisputable evidence to the contrary policies were perfect and made everything wonderful.

[hilltop]

Some small number of people are incompetent and/or dishonest so the only solution is to put everything in the hands of central government because, as we all know, central government is always competent and 100% honest. Idiot.

I do take your point and there is no need for vulgar abusive.

However, Libcons are making a habit of second thoughts to much vaunted plans.

Also, it is attractive to devolve responsibility, a theme for this Government, but it is not as easy as it may seem and the furore that would follow abuse of such a system as Lansley hopes for would not be in anyone's best interests, certainly not the users of the NHS.

[Guest happy?]

http://www.guardian....sury-stonewalls

Apparently Health Secretary Lansley's idea of putting the NHS budget in the hands of GPs has its problems.

The American experience is that such a system leads to bankrupt GPs, and theft.

It is becoming a hallmark of the Libcons that their fancy ideas are unravelling in the harsh light of practicality.

Will cuts go the same way?

I seem to recall that one of his first acts was to abolish the right to see an NHS GP within 48 hours.

I'm pinning my hopes on Simon Hughes - he's already the conscience of the Liberals, as long as he can grow a backbone and stay away from some soft sinecure for his troubles...

[Woot]

I'm pleasantly surprised that the coalition are willing to change their minds, compromise, re-think ... at least in some cases.

Far better than the 13 years of being told that despite overwhelming and indisputable evidence to the contrary policies were perfect and made everything wonderful.

+1

[Guest sillybear2]

I seem to recall that one of his first acts was to abolish the right to see an NHS GP within 48 hours.

I'm pinning my hopes on Simon Hughes - he's already the conscience of the Liberals, as long as he can grow a backbone and stay away from some soft sinecure for his troubles...

I thought Blair was publicly shocked to find out that bull$hit target means nothing anyway. Remember him on that 'meet the plebs' style TV show where the audience informed him that if you want to make an appointment they just told you to phone back a few days later, then they'd book you in within 48 hours and everyone gets big pat on the back for meeting their targets, even though somebody might have waited 5 days.

[Potwalloper]

I seem to recall that one of his first acts was to abolish the right to see an NHS GP within 48 hours.

Are you out of touch with this? Not heard of weird targets that meant nothing anyway?

I'm pinning my hopes on Simon Hughes - he's already the conscience of the Liberals, as long as he can grow a backbone and stay away from some soft sinecure for his troubles...

Ah...

[Guest anorthosite]

I thought Blair was publicly shocked to find out that bull$hit target means nothing anyway. Remember him on that 'meet the plebs' style TV show where the audience informed him that if you want to make an appointment they just told you to phone back a few days later, then they'd book you in within 48 hours and everyone gets big pat on the back for meeting their targets, even though somebody might have waited 5 days.

Question Time, election edition 2005.

Its not like he did anything about it though...

[Guest sillybear2]

Question Time, election edition 2005.

Its not like he did anything about it though...

They tried to pull the same trick this time around with their "cancer guarantee", a particularly low point of the campaign, putting aside the granny bashing, apparently the nasty Tories were planning to scrap something NuLabour hadn't even introduced, and by all accounts it was an empty target anyway because it's already met, like promising the sun will come up in the morning :-

"By last year, 93% of patients waited less than two weeks to see a specialist after they were referred by a GP, 96% waited less than 31 days for their first treatment and 85% got treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral. In the interests of speedy diagnosis"

Maybe their propaganda people think potential NuLabour voters are that thick they fall for this kind of shit?

[LJAR]

Instead of giving the money to GPs, why not give it to individuals instead? They paid their taxes in the first place. Then they could spend it on what they wanted and the NHS wouldn't get paid for things that nobody wants done.

[Guest happy?]

Instead of giving the money to GPs, why not give it to individuals instead? They paid their taxes in the first place. Then they could spend it on what they wanted and the NHS wouldn't get paid for things that nobody wants done.

Because (and here's something you're gonna find surprising, because the theory you believe says otherwise) markets aren't efficient. Take a look at the US - an excellent example of a totally efficient market - but cannot deliver universal healthcare.

[oracle]

Because (and here's something you're gonna find surprising, because the theory you believe says otherwise) markets aren't efficient. Take a look at the US - an excellent example of a totally efficient market - but cannot deliver universal healthcare.

the reason they can't deliver universal healthcare is because they hate the concept of big,centralised nanny state.

NuLabour have just shown them what happens when you let the government machinery get too large....it does not serve the people.

hence the tea parties.

I'm not entirely a fan of their total frontier culture when it comes to medicare/welfare.....the EU in that respect does have a few advantages.

...but what we've just experienced over the last 13 years or so is quasi-soviet statism......not what our public services were originally designed for.

...and that's not the fault of the people at the coal face,that's a deliberate decision/ideology undertaken by the politico's.