NHS cuts

they're also not Andrew Lansley's personally made cuts so it's a ridiculous statment to make; they will or will not be made by the Department of Health of the coalition government that was democratically elected. Poor Lansley, the policy may be shite but they are not a result of him sitting scheming with evil red eyes masturbating over termination of the NHS.

NONONONONONONONO

PLEASE DO NOT SEND THAT LETTER

YOUR MP WILL NEVER SEE IT. Their poor researcher (like me) will, and will have to spend a few hours doing overtime per day to respond to each letter on top of their normal work load. If you really care please have the decency to personally write a letter rather than enter your postcode, click a button, give over-worked and underpaid staff a huge amount more work and have no effect whatsoever on the government.

It's quarter past 12 and I got home 2 hours ago because of the fucking irritating 38 degrees campaign.

Please think before you click. It makes not a blind bit of difference to policy and turns House of Commons staff into sleep deprived, shakey wrecks

@mellowfruitfulness
No! The vote hasn't happened, it's not a law yet, and it won't be if we keep telling our MPs not to do it! However, the Department of Health are continuing as if it was a law, even though it has been 'paused' by Cameron for consultation because the opposition has been so large. (don't believe the 'pause' it's a spin)

@earthworm
abolishing waiting list targets is not a method of providing quicker care to those who need it most, that's Tory spin. It's a way of no-one being accountable for longer lists caused by underinvestment.

Just realised - the vote's already happened, hasn't it??? My MP will think I'm nuts. Oh well ...

Just seen this, Glasnost. thanks for posting it. Have sent an email.

The labour waiting list thing though was always a huge great Labour con. They cut lists of X and then Y was much longer.

Surely waiting times were always going to rise, given that the targets were relaxed to allow hospitals to treat according to need rather than time waiting?

There'll be another chance to demonstrate against Lansley's cuts to the NHS (which will be implemented by GPs, whether they like it or not) on Tuesday evening, 17th May: www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=204132966274030

It'd be great if anyone from mumsnet wants to talk at the demo. For example, about the effect that handing maternity or child services to 'any willing provider' is likely to have, or any grievances you may have about cuts to child benefit, while tax money will be channelled to private healthcare under these proposals.

Contact jim fagin on 07914 529959 or email [email protected] if you'd like to talk. Or else just come support us. We already have GPs, nurses, OTs, consultants, support workers, students, pensioners and MPs lined up. Please lend your voice, we want real people involved.

Duncan Smith gaffe prompts Labour waiting-lists attack

Waiting lists in the NHS are already increasing just one year into coalition government, Iain Duncan Smith has admitted.

The embarrassing gaffe prompted Labour to launch a blistering attack on the work and pensions secretary, saying he had inadvertently "admitted the truth".

"Waiting times have already increased since last year and maternity services at Queens and Whipps are already struggling to cope," Mr Duncan Smith told the Evening Standard, as he campaigned against the closure of his own local hospital.

"Patients in my constituency will really suffer if this closure goes ahead and we must prevent it."

Shadow health minister John Healey said: "This is the first admission from the Tory-led Government that the NHS is starting to go backwards under the Tories.

"Patients are starting to see waiting times rise, frontline NHS jobs go and services cut back.

"This is not what people expected when David Cameron promised to protect the NHS."

The outburst came on the same day that a confidential Department of Health memo revealed that the listening exercise on NHS reforms had many no-go are

www.politics.co.uk/news/health/duncan-smith-gaffe-prompts-labour-waiting-lists-attack-$21388272.htm

Life is to me a sort of tragi-comedy. So we could allhave some fun with STUNTS (I dont have time to do it today)

The effect of the CUTS has not happened yet. These screens will be on fire in 9 months time. And Camerooney and Cleggy will be hiding behind meaningless publicity stunts. (Not ryming slang)

S

@Rambling Rosa.... I disagree with the 'fat lie' part. If the funding stays the same but the various costs go up (everything from keeping the lights on to expensive new treatments) it's pretty obvious that savings are still required. All 'ring-fencing' means is that the NHS doesn't have to cut its spending to the same level as other departments.

And Gabby... I don't think any plan involving reforming the NHS has ever been popular. That's why it's being dealt with early in the parliament. People don't like change as a rule and the NHS has this 'sacred cow' status for some bizarre reason. Lansley (Conservative) has been working on the NHS reforms for many years - well before last year's election.

Chil IMO "ring fencing" is a big fat lie. 50,000 jobs set to be axed

Because shiny Dave is well known for only listening to his very tigh in-group. These are almost all men who he's known since his Eaton/Bullingdon club days. Dave's mates think it's a good idea and Dave listens to Dave's mates.

Why did Camerooney thinks his NHS plan would be popular? All the research suggests it is widely unpopular. Hence the relaunch. I suppose it is Liberal activists who have forced the issue. Plus Shirley B Wlliams. (She took her time to go public)

As far as I'm aware the NHS budget has been 'ring-fenced'. Given that inflation is high and the cost of new drugs and latest treatments often outstrips inflation, I'm sure this means that they'd like to have more money to keep pace 100%. However, that is not the same thing as a 'cut'. If the Scottish and Welsh branches of the NHS can make ends meet without prescription charges it suggests there's still some bunce in the English system....

As long as the treatment is still free to the user at the point of need and as long as the service is as good as or preferably better than it is now, then I don't think we should hang onto the status quo just for the sake of it. Things move on and the NHS, like any other big organisation, cannot be preserved in aspic.