Loss of trust brings dangerous results
The acute loss of trust in politics and politicians felt by the British public during the course of the last decade, following what feels like an insidious drip-drip of scandal, lie, half-truth and worse, brings with it potentially dangerous consequences.
Coupled with the traps set by some online publishers, where headlines are as cryptic as they are sensationalised, and the consequence is a loss of trust with power amongst the population.
That is a problem because when politicians need to be taken seriously; when there is a serious message to be delivered, one that requires action and agency, there is a danger that nobody listens and nobody cares.
That is the challenge faced by the Liberal Democrats whose Freedom of Information Act assessment of the bed-blocking bottleneck was headlined by the party: ‘Less than two weeks to save Christmas.’
Thanks to assistance from The King’s Fund, the cost of a delayed release from any given hospital bed for a patient who ought to be recuperating elsewhere is pegged at an eye-watering £395-per-night.
Now, with clinicians genuinely concerned about the prospect of a possible seasonal flu surge, as well as the hindrance to capacity brought about by looming industrial action, it is clear that trusted sources of news and information must step forwards to add credibility and authenticity to the message: the NHS needs all of the help it can get in order to pull through into the warmer months and the Lib Dems’ call for a new, dedicated winter unit to help with that is a sensible one. Listening to the proposal, and acting upon it, is not about being cowed into action – it is responsible, proactive governance.