Grumpy Old Man writes (after audio-listening to some of the presentations
on 'hospital planning' (not called that, of course) on the King's Fund
website):
"The late Professor Roger Dyson worked with Tory Ministers and the Cabinet
Office in the 1980s and 90s. He interpreted the 1990s' "internal market"
as an attempt to achieve a hospital 'plan' by the backdoor.
The same question can be asked today, but I suspect Ministers do not know
if an affordable reconfigured hospital system will allow the luxury of
competition or not.
One thing I do know: with the Competition and Cooperation Panel,
Monitor,the Dpt.of Health, the National Commissioning Board's regional
offices, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Clinical Senates, Clinical
Mewtworks, University health science Consortia, the Office of Fair
(Fare?!)Trading and the Competition Commission all jostling for a piece of
the action, we will have the Oliver Hardy theory of health reform
validated ("another fine mess you've got me into, Lansley.....I mean,
Laurel")
Oh,and by the way, when is Bob Naylor going to realise that boasting about
advising Alan Milburn is something that is better done in private amongst
consenting adults?!
Calum paton - Prof. of Public Policy, Keele Univ.
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