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Showing posts from May, 2015

A 7 point plan for Cameron's 7 day NHS

The media called this the “ first major speech ” in this brand new Conservative majority government. Prime Minister David Cameron, with five years of power ahead of him, decided to focus on the NHS, and, in particular, he focused on one particular aspect—seven day working. Trailed in the Tory manifesto and now offered to the nation it sounds appealing, but as is usually the case with many things Mr Cameron does, most of it doesn’t stand up to proper scrutiny. Here is my seven point plan for Mr Cameron’s seven day NHS: 1. Get the five days right first—If the government wants to make the NHS work safely and efficiently seven days a week, then it might be a good idea to get the five days of Monday to Friday working well beforehand. At the moment the NHS is in dire straits, struggling financially with medical, nursing, and allied staff leaving or retiring early in their droves. What was the adage Mr Cameron likes to use—fix the roof while the sun is shining? Well, the sun isn’t shinin