TBT: The NHS and the UK General Elections 2015

So for this weeks entry, partly because I have unfortunately not had much time to write in recent days but more importantly because it is a major issue in UK politics at the moment, I decided to focus on the NHS in a series of posts I am going to publish over the coming weeks entitled: NHS Under Strain. This is an article I wrote little over a year ago outlining how the NHS had become a huge talking point for the UK General Elections in 2015, and in very brief terms outlining what each major party had called for at that time. In the next few weeks I will (hopefully) publish some entries on the unfair hand dealt to doctors, nurses and midwives by the Department of Health and their incessant need to cut money from the NHS. Anyway hope this entry is both a bit nostalgic and informative before I write on more current issues!

7-Day NHS? Extra funding? Privatisation?: How the NHS is being shaped by the Election Campaign

(Originally written March 30th, 2015)

As Election Day comes closer and closer, the NHS is being thrust into the forefront as each party is rapidly trying to make its plans for the NHS clearer. Recent polls show a clear consistent lead for Ed Miliband’s party over their stance on the NHS, which has led to David Cameron promising a ‘seven day NHS’ by 2020 under a Conservative government. This battle over the NHS has drawn criticism from the BMA, who has started the ‘No More Games’ campaign in a bid to stop politics from harming the NHS.

Recently at the Conservative party’s spring forum David Cameron, in a bid to draw more voters to the Conservative party, said that the NHS in England would provide a “seven-day NHS” by 2020, under a future Conservative government. He also pledged that more hospitals would provide top-level treatments on weekends, starting off with emergency care. The Conservatives have also pledged an additional extra £2bn a year, however a big concern remains on where this money is going to come from.

At the forum, in Manchester, Mr Cameron warned that current figures showed patients were ‘more likely to die’ if they were admitted on the weekends, with mortality rates being quoted as 11-16% higher. Mr Cameron added that “illness doesn’t respect working hours” and said that his vision for the future NHS would be for everyone to have full access to the NHS, including weekends, with hospitals being properly staffed, especially for urgent and emergency care.

In response to Mr Cameron’s speech, Dr Mark Porter, the BMA chairman, said, “This is at best an empty pledge and at worst shameless political game playing”. He added that the Conservatives funding commitment was not enough to maintain even existing services, and that a funding gap of up to £30bn a year was predicted to open up under the Conservative party plans. Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, rebutted these claims as he pointed out improving efficiency of the NHS, and current reforms by the Conservatives would significantly lower this gap.

Labour representatives, meanwhile, criticised Mr Cameron’s speech saying that Tory plans for extreme spending cuts actually threatened the NHS. The Labour party, under Ed Miliband, has put the health service at the forefront of its campaign, and on Friday promised to cap the amount of profit private firms can make from the NHS in England. Ed Miliband has also recently pledged to stop the “tide of privatisation” and make the NHS the preferred provider. He also said his party was invested in stopping cherry picking by private companies partnered with the NHS. The party has also pledged an extra £2.5bn a year to be spent on recruitment, training and funding of new staff.

The Liberal Democrats have spoken in favour of this claim by saying that NHS England already has plans to open hospitals and GP surgeries seven days a week, and have promised an increase of at least £8bn a year under a Liberal Democrat plans. The party also wants to focus its effort on mental health and prevention.

Meanwhile Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, caused controversy earlier this year by suggesting the NHS might have to be replaced by an insurance based system, nevertheless the official party stance is to avoid the private path. UKIP also criticised the Conservatives handling of the NHS over the past five years by saying they had already “degenerated” the NHS beyond recognition.

BMA meanwhile has started the ‘No More Games’ campaign which seems to be gaining traction amongst healthcare professionals. Under this campaign, the BMA calls on all political parties to stop playing ‘games’ with the public’s health, NHS funding and NHS handling of patient care. The campaign criticises the political response to the NHS, especially the recent crisis in A&E departments, which has been a series of “headline grabbing initiatives”, rather than the development of a long-term sustainable solution.

The campaign has called on all political parties to provide long-term commitment to addressing major public health issues in our society, long term investment to secure the future of the NHS, and ensure wellbeing of patients regardless of which party forms the government. Whether the parties will make more radical claims with regards to the NHS or whether they will accept this proposal by the BMA will be seen over the coming weeks, in the run up to the general elections.