Political round-up Public faith in NHS lowest in 20 years

It was a privilege to take part in the four-hour debate on the hot topic of the future of the NHS.

The good news is that the Health Minister has agreed to meet me to discuss some of the points I made.

Many of these were prompted by suggestions from constituents.

An excellent one was from a senior nurse who believes it was a mistake in 2009 to make nursing a fully graduate profession.

The result is that no one can become a nurse unless they have a degree. Even a nursing apprenticeship has to be linked to a degree. Yet the experience of patients is that often the most caring nurses they meet are nongraduates who entered nursing as a vocation before the degree requirement was set.

The minister gave encouragement that a change of policy may be in the offing when he said: ‘We are very interested in driving forward apprenticeship and non-degree routes into healthcare’. The minister’s response to some of my other suggestions was less forthcoming. He did not comment on the concern that many of the doctors and nurses being trained at taxpayers’ expense leave the NHS as soon as they qualify.

In the United States, those who leave the profession in such circumstances, are expected to pay back some or all of the cost of their training.

The minister was also rather vague about NHS dentistry. He did not respond directly to my point that, in Christchurch, there are dentists who would like to take on more NHS patients but are prevented by rules which require them not to exceed 110% of their quota. Otherwise they are subject to financial penalties. The minister gave no indication as to whether the reform of the dentistry contract which increases the number of ‘unit of dental activity bands’ will also allow dentists to increase their activity to meet demand.

NHS productivity is declining. Yet the Government refuses to publish the internal report about this on the grounds that revealing such information ‘could prejudice the conduct of public affairs’.

On enquiring as to how such prejudice could arise, the response given to me was: ‘To share this information would inhibit the open, free and frank discussions that are being had on these internal policies’. Yet it is those internal policies which have resulted in the public’s faith in the NHS sinking to its lowest level in 20 years.

Fifty-three per cent of adults believe that the National Health Service ‘often wastes money’.

Fewer than one in 10 believe that ministers are pursuing the right policies.

For these reasons I shall continue to pressurise ministers to face up to the realities and embrace ideas for radical reform.