The NHS Labour Legacy.

[local]

As Dental and GP services hit the Labour built buffers it's clear the Blair government left two important services on a privatisation journey that is now becoming clear.
The contracts for both Dentists and Doctors clearly pushing them towards private provision.
You cannot trust the Labour Party with anything important.

[donkey22]

Have you spent a lot of time out in the sun today?

[Graeme1978]

You do realise we’re about to be on our 4th consecutive Conservative Prime Minister don’t you? You can’t blame Labour when the Tories have been in office for 12 years

[Snig's foot]

You do realise we’re about to be on our 4th consecutive Conservative Prime Minister don’t you? You can’t blame Labour when the Tories have been in office for 12 years

You do realise that the Conservatives aren't going to undo a path towards privatisation?

[local]

It appears knowledge of the GP and Dentists contracts is a bit light on here.

Before reaching for the standard the Conservative Government have been in power for X years argument it may help (if you don't know and only those that don't would make that argument) that you read up.

[said]

A LABOUR MP was left humiliated when she was reminded that it was a deal struck by Tony Blair's government which has left "dental deserts" in England and Wales.

But with Health Secretary Sajid Javid's team taking questions, Conservative health minister Maria Caulfield, a former nurse, hit back pointing out that it was Tony Blair’s Government that had created the problem.
“We are working under Labour’s 2006 dental contract, and she may have missed that dentists were unable to offer any routine care during the pandemic over the last two years, which we have slowly worked up to 95 percent of usual activity.”

[Alikado]

A LABOUR MP was left humiliated when she was reminded that it was a deal struck by Tony Blair's government which has left "dental deserts" in England and Wales.

But with Health Secretary Sajid Javid's team taking questions, Conservative health minister Maria Caulfield, a former nurse, hit back pointing out that it was Tony Blair’s Government that had created the problem.
“We are working under Labour’s 2006 dental contract, and she may have missed that dentists were unable to offer any routine care during the pandemic over the last two years, which we have slowly worked up to 95 percent of usual activity.”

That is exactly the problem the government expecting a contract to work 15 years later.

[Toodles McGinty]

Can't see the OP as nobody has quoted, but from the replies I'm guessing Labour is to blame for all that's wrong with NHS dentistry today.

Going off 'Said's' quote it's from a 2006 contract.

So the government in place for 12 years can be grimly determined to change 52,000 or so laws that they claim come from the EU within months, but couldn't change a contract brought in by the people in power 7 governments ago?

Right. Makes perfect sense.

[Alikado]

Can't see the OP as nobody has quoted, but from the replies I'm guessing Labour is to blame for all that's wrong with NHS dentistry today.

Going off 'Said's' quote it's from a 2006 contract.

So the government in place for 12 years can be grimly determined to change 52,000 or so laws that they claim come from the EU within months, but couldn't change a contract brought in by the people in power 7 governments ago?

Right. Makes perfect sense.

Perfect sense just like allowing car drivers to drive anything with up to 16 seats or wagons upto 7.5 tonnes without having to pass another test which is apparently an Europe imposed restriction.

'Brexit bonus' plan to allow motorists to drive HGVs without extra tests to help solve driver shortages

Mr Shapps believes lifting the ban could increase the pool of commercial drivers, boosting job opportunities and the economy. It could also help address shortages of HGV drivers because some may graduate to drive heavy goods vehicles.
A government source told the Telegraph: “We are past the days when EU directives were handed down on tablets of stone, and we should be prepared to liberalise where we can, testing the necessity for maintaining driving restrictions that were once thought unnecessary in this country.
“Grant thinks we should have a fresh look at this, but of course this has to be done with due regard for safety.”

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/brexit-bo...sts-to-help-s/

[local]

Strangely enough the Doctors don't want to change a contract that;



To pacify the doctors, Bevan allowed consultants to retain their private practices and GPs to run their surgeries as private businesses. He bought their backing, as he put it himself, by “stuffing their mouths with gold.” It’s a habit that hasn’t changed.


When Reid was made minister for health by Tony Blair in 2003, he was reported by satirical magazine Private Eye to have responded, “Oh f***, not health!” He was at least a reformer, and he improved waiting times by allowing private providers to open treatment centers for knee, hip and eye operations, all still free at the point of use to patients. But he continued the Bevan tradition of stuffing doctors’ mouths with gold. He drew up a contract for GPs that offered them a 22 percent pay rise while allowing them to opt out of evening and weekend work. They couldn’t believe their luck.


When he was health minister under Blair, Burnham implemented all sorts of market-based reforms to bring competition into the NHS and put pressure on hospitals to improve their performance. As soon as Labour lost power, he started opposing any private-sector involvement in treating NHS patients – calling it ‘privatization’, even though it was nothing of the sort. It was a shameless bid to appeal to Labour activists in the leadership election that he knew would follow Ed Miliband’s defeat in the May 2015 election — and it didn’t work as he lost the leadership race to Jeremy Corbyn. As health minister, Burnham ignored dozens of requests for an inquiry into the Mid Staffs scandal.

That doesn't let the Conservatives off the hook just gives an idea of the basis of so many of our current problems.


https://www.politico.eu/article/12-p...ng-lists-debt/

[donkey22]

Can't see the OP as nobody has quoted, but from the replies I'm guessing Labour is to blame for all that's wrong with NHS dentistry today.

Going off 'Said's' quote it's from a 2006 contract.

So the government in place for 12 years can be grimly determined to change 52,000 or so laws that they claim come from the EU within months, but couldn't change a contract brought in by the people in power 7 governments ago?

Right. Makes perfect sense.

Op’s post.

“ The NHS Labour Legacy.
As Dental and GP services hit the Labour built buffers it's clear the Blair government left two important services on a privatisation journey that is now becoming clear.
The contracts for both Dentists and Doctors clearly pushing them towards private provision.
You cannot trust the Labour Party with anything important.”

Try not to laugh too hard.

[Toodles McGinty]

Op’s post.

“ The NHS Labour Legacy.
As Dental and GP services hit the Labour built buffers it's clear the Blair government left two important services on a privatisation journey that is now becoming clear.
The contracts for both Dentists and Doctors clearly pushing them towards private provision.
You cannot trust the Labour Party with anything important.”

Try not to laugh too hard.

Unsurprising given the source.

The entire NHS is a Labour legacy. Every life saved, every child born, every broken bone fixed, all a Labour legacy.

Thatcher introduced competitive tendering to outsource ancillary services including cleaning, porters and kitchens to private companies. Access to eye and dental care was reduced and charges brought in.

In the late 80s banker Oliver Letwin and John Redwood wrote 'Britain’s Biggest Enterprise', a manual on how to privatise the NHS through the gradual introduction of trusts, private companies, charges, profits, and health insurance.

In 1991 John Major brought in the NHS and Community Care Act introducing an Internal Market to the NHS with a ‘purchaser-provider’ split, de-centralising the service by forming NHS trusts, adding a corporate management structure and the principle of competition.

In 1992 The Conservatives introduce Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs), an unnecessary and expensive method of borrowing money for new hospitals designed to deliver attractive, risk-free returns for private investors, drain money out of the NHS, lock the taxpayer into long-term debt and justify hospital closures.

Then Blair. Who spent billions to reduce waiting times, the largest ever sustained increase in healthcare spending in the history of the NHS. When his plans to make the NHS work for us all (medically speaking) came to fruition, he could have rolled back the privatisation. He didn't. I can't and won't defend that.

But it's a bit of an oversimplification to say that the state of NHS dentistry is solely down to one particular PM. As with almost everything that is wrong in this country, the rot started in the 80s.

[ausard2]

You do realise that the Conservatives aren't going to undo a path towards privatisation?

Privatisation is an option more attractive than what we have at present. You can't give fre to anybody, you must contribute something. Fix the person then that person must maintain its self.

[donkey22]

Privatisation is an option more attractive than what we have at present. You can't give fre to anybody, you must contribute something. Fix the person then that person must maintain its self.

If only there was some sort of mandatory payment we could make that would contribute towards the welfare state that could help fund the NHS. Hmmm we could even call it National Insurance.

[Toodles McGinty]

If only there was some sort of mandatory payment we could make that would contribute towards the welfare state that could help fund the NHS. Hmmm we could even call it National Insurance.

Pretty sure most of those calling for privatisation of anything have more than availed themselves of the free healthcare, free dentistry etc from being children. Now they've got a few bob, a decent pension, it's 'people should look after themselves'.

I've paid decades into the system, taken little out, but would happily pay a little more in contributions to keep NHS & NHS dentistry free for everyone. My grandkids have moved here but have to go back to Manchester for a dental check up.

I can't think of one thing that has improved under privatisation. Not one.

If people want to opt out, fine. They should be able to opt out of that part of their contribution that pays for the NHS. Pay it to private insurance instead. But then pay top price for meds, just like Americans do, then call a private ambulance when they've got chest pains, have them check their insurance before they get treated. And if they haven't got any, sell the house.

Sounds a bit shitty to me. But if that's what they want. Yes, capitalism is grand.