I suppose that we can't expect John Humphrys to achieve everything!
But there does not appear to be any connection between 1) getting "the best
possible advice and support from around the world" and 2) "data collection,
analysis and distribution to managers and clinicians".
And it is implicit in the Commissioning Service Framework that the
statistics produced would not be in the public domain. " I want them to
have access to that high quality support" seems to be translatable as "I
want the managers of the PCT to obey the consultant's reports".
The impression is given that consultants are being used to give power to the
managers of PCTs to enable them to dominate the Trust that is expected to be
representative in some way of the local population. Is this interpretation
fair?
We do have an Information Centre for health and social care headed by Denise
Lievesley, former President of the RSS. Has the Information Centre made
any comment on the Commissioning Service Framework?
Ray Thomas
-----Original Message-----
From: email list for Radical Statistics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Ted Harding
Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 10:04 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: PCT management services commissioning & privatisation
On 15-Jul-06 ray thomas wrote:
> The account of what Andrew Burden health minister said
> in the Today programme on 15 July is a bit convoluted.
> Have I understood it correctly as meaning that Andrew Burden
> categorically stated that there are no circumstances in which the
> private sector will be brought in to decide what services are offered
> and what is bought in the NHS ?
From the "Listen Again" at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/
today3_nhsprivatisation_20060715.ram
[all one line], starting approx 3min 38sec into the item
(I transcribe):
03:38
[John Humphrys]: But are you saying, categorically,
absolutely without hesitation at all, that there is,
there are no circumstances in which the private sector
will be brought in to decide what services are offered,
and what is bought in the NHS?
[Andrew Burnham]: I'm saying that categorically, John,
[JH]: Ever?
[AB]: I'm saying that that is the statutory responsibility,
laid down by Parliament, of primary care trusts.
That is their role. They are publicly accountable for the
services they commission on behalf of their local population,
and that will not change. What I am saying, though, that if
they are able to use the best possible advice and support
from around the world to that job, then certainly the Health
Minister I want[sic] them to have access to that high
quality support.
> If that is what he said it seems a bit naïve to say the least. The
> Commissioning Service Framework states quite clearly that the purpose
> of privatisation would be for "data collection, analysis and
> distribution to managers and clinicians".
>
> So the objective is to created a management information service. What
> is the point of an information system if it does not help to decide
> what services are offered?
>
> Bullet point 2 of the concerns of Radstats (printed on the inside
> cover of the journal) expresses concern about "the lack of control of
> the community over the aims of statistical investigations .." Is not
> privatisation being used in the case of the PCTs to privatise the
> statistics, to remove the statistics from the public domain and remove
> any possibility of control by the community of the PCT?
>
> Ray Thomas
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Date: 16-Jul-06 Time: 10:04:23
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