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Putting NHS patients first
IT is indicative of the Government's mishandling of the National Health Service that the improvements it has presided over since 1997 are overshadowed by new criticisms on a daily basis.
Even New Labour's most vociferous opponents would acknowledge the very considerable progress that has been made in the treatment of cancer and heart disease, and the extent to which waiting times fell after Tony Blair came to power.
However, these advances have been offset by three-quarters of health trusts being forced to postpone operations – despite the availability of beds – as hospitals introduce the new concept of "minimum waiting times" in order to balance their books.
Yet it was Mr Blair who raised the public's expectations to an unprecedented level in the first instance. But, instead of delivering upon his rhetoric, his administration has squandered the record investment that it made available to healthcare.
Its never-ending cycle of bureaucratic changes have cost billions of pounds to implement, and have deprived doctors of vast sums which could have been used to treat patients.
First, the Government wanted to prioritise local hospital services. Now it wants to close some local hospitals and centralise care on specialist sites in major cities, a move that has prompted members of Mr Blair's Cabinet to join voters on the picket lines.
Given this backdrop, Yorkshire's strategic health authority deserves credit for compiling a new blueprint which aims to take the health service forward and ensure future improvements in this region benefit all.
People are entitled to the healthcare that they need, irrespective of where they live and their social background. This should be a fundamental principle of the NHS. Yet huge disparities remain in the system. And the extent of these inequalities – Sheffield being a prime example – leaves NHS Yorkshire and the Humber in an invidious position.
These difficulties cannot be addressed overnight and without another round of bureaucratic upheaval. But the promises made by successive Health Secretaries mean patients expect steady improvements and may not take kindly to further reforms that may reverse some of the latest changes.
Health chiefs also face an unenviable challenge if they are to strike the right balance between local care and the centralisation of specialist services.
Community hospitals are essential if everyone is to have equal access to healthcare. Many patients, especially the elderly, simply cannot travel to major cities because of their clinical condition, the costs involved and a negligible public transport service.
Yet it is unrealistic to expect smaller hospitals to be centres of excellence for every conceivable medical condition. That simply is not feasible, given both financial and safety considerations.
This being the case, few patients are likely to argue with any future strategy that aims to treat patients in their local community wherever possible – and further afield if their condition demands more specialist care. This is a noble objective that is also based on common sense. But, too often, the latter is lacking when it comes to reforming the National Health Service. The challenge facing local officials is to ensure that the needs of patients come first, not the bureaucrats. History is against them.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
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Wind direction: East
