For all the Lib Dem Politics and Anger, they didn’t show up!

For all their Liberal politics and anger towards the NHS reforms they just did not turn up for the debate, for a party so bullish about its intentions they fall at the first hurdle

The Labour party put down an amendment criticising the NHS bill which was debated last night but only a handful bothered to turn up, it just shows their commitment to government, mind you it went on until 7.00pm so they were probably all tucked up in bed!

The Lib Dem’s have a problem, they signed up to this NHS reform bill and stated publicly that the bill contained both Conservative and Lib Dem thinking, Nick Clegg personally signed it and the Lib Dem’s fully supported its passage through the committee stages and the Commons but they are not used to the rough and tumble of real politics, not the sort of friends you need when you are in a tight corner.

We have to understand that the NHS is massive, the biggest employer in the EU, riddled with antiquated bureaucracy and a management structure which increased by over 100% during the Labour years, a management which has seen its own pay increase by 7% over the past year whilst front line staff had to make do with up to 3%.

There are bound to be predictions of doom & gloom because a large proportion of those managers will have to go, they serve no purpose in the NHS and if they want someone to blame for their job loss then blame Labour who only have one solution to any problem, people and our money.

This is a very complex re-organisation and the government are right, although it is now law, to take a pause and I hope they take several more pauses along the way to reflect and check how the changes are taking effect, the simple thing that the public must understand is that for the NHS to thrive in the years ahead it must change, it cannot stay as it is! There are more savings to be made in the NHS by looking at procurement than all the efficiencies put together and multiplied by 10 so there is no shortage of money in the NHS if you take into account the money that is wasted and the money freed up by reducing staff levels on the management side.

There are more savings to be made in the NHS by looking at procurement than all the efficiencies put together and multiplied by 10 so there is no shortage of money in the NHS if you take into account the money that is wasted and the money freed up by reducing staff levels on the management side.

The one thing the public has to remember, with a reorganisation this complicated, is that not everything will work as expected sometimes just because of human nature and resistance but the public should be grateful we have a mature government that is prepared to take stock occasionally, this health service reform is based on Free for all at the point of delivery, putting the patient first and supporting the front line staff, the NHS is far too precious to be the subject of dirty politics.

This health service reform is based on Free for all at the point of delivery, putting the patient first and supporting the front line staff, the NHS is far too precious to be the subject of dirty politics.

But the Lib Dem’s really have to decide whether or not they are going to fully engage in the mechanics of government or are they just going snipe from the sidelines to try and bolster their support in the country, we should remember that this coalition is about the national interest not the Lib Dem interest!