No. 10 and the NHS

Charles Moore has written an interesting article in the Telegraph today about how in his view 10 Downing Street is dysfunctional because it has no political chief of staff pushing through the Government's aims and that this can be seen most clearly in the way the NHS reforms have been handled. Apparently Andrew Lansley started out in life as a civil servant - I suppose we can't all be perfect - and is taking a bureaucratic approach to the reforms rather than than a political one. As a result the attitude to the reforms is negative because the general public has not been persuaded of the benefits to patients that the proposed changes will bring. It should surely not be beyond the wit of man to explain why the reforms are needed and what benefits will arise from them. I assume the Government is waiting for the so called listening period to be over so that it can then launch its sales strategy. The sales strategy must be a good one and one which outflanks not only the LibDems but also the doctors, nurses and other health trades unions. For far too long the needs of patients have been pushed into second place behind the demands of the health workers. I am happy to subscribe to the health care of others in this country but only if the patients are the principal beneficiaries.