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Original poster

Clegg flexing his muscles

30 replies

StealthPolarBear · 08/05/2011 17:02

Threatening to veto the NHS reforms unless they are substantially reformed.

How much power does he have? While I'd love to see it happen (reform or veto) I doubt either will actually happening, this is all a load of posturing

OP posts:
edam · 08/05/2011 17:17

Clegg's just showing off. But the pause thing is interesting - the legislation has got so far they could just go ahead if they distracted everyone long enough. And PCTs are already draining staff. So it's almost a fait accompli.

I suspect there won't be any major changes - just a requirement for the GPs to include a couple of nurses on the board of consortia. Doubt any of the very serious accountability issues will be addressed. Currently the plans mean large swathes of the NHS being taken out of the scope of the Freedom of Information Act, which is handy for the government...

Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 08/05/2011 17:15

x post NL. So you think he will be laughed at. Pity...

OP posts:
Original poster
StealthPolarBear · 08/05/2011 17:14

I think we'll have to agree to differ. I think privatisation will bring value at the expense of quality. I think the postcode lottery will be rife. I think private companies will never commission effectively as they will never have the full picture. As a colleague of mine put it, we'll have some guy with a nail file doing podiatry in his front room.

What exactly do you think they will give in on? Abolishion of the PCTs? Or just an agreement that whatever the new arrangements are, they won't involve "Tesco Health"?

OP posts:
Northernlurker · 08/05/2011 17:13

longfingernails - you are absolutely and totally wrong. Privatisation and competition would bring no benefits whatsoever in terms of quality or value.
I think Clegg is posturing - he has no power or influence at all and will let us down on this policy as he has on so many other things.

longfingernails · 08/05/2011 17:10

Sadly I think the Tories will give in on this - not because of the Lib Dems, but because they are scared stiff of reopening the NHS as a political issue when it had essentially been neutralised.

This is a huge shame. Just think of the huge improvements in quality and value that privatisation and competition would bring.

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