NHS ‘reforms’ likened to a ‘curate’s egg’

Proposed changes to the NHS, which have implications for all staff, including those engaged in HR, staff training and leadership development, have been likened to a ‘curate’s egg’ by BMA Council Chairman, Dr Hamish Meldrum.

Dr Meldrum uses the phrase in a letter to doctors and medical students in the wake of the health White Paper for England, commenting that it is “large curate’s egg; good in parts, bad in parts, unclear in parts and even internally inconsistent in parts.”

And I couldn’t agree more.

Clearly his concern and that of BMA members focuses on the role of GPs under the so-called reforms, but the fact is that everyone involved in any way in primary care within the NHS is going to see major changes. In many cases those changes could see jobs disappear, although no doubt the highest paid staff will somehow emerge unscathed.

Changes within the NHS in Wales have already seen the highest earners whose jobs were axed have their salaries protected for as much as 10 years, which is pretty staggering.

People involved with commissioning services are most likely to see their jobs under threat when PCTs are abolished in a couple of years, but at least the BMA sees the value of the expertise which NHS managers possess. That seems to be on contrast to the government which seems to regard everyone who is not actually delivering hands-on medical or nursing care as some kind of ‘back office’ person whose job can be abolished without any effect on patients or the functioning of the NHS.

In his letter Dr Meldrum says that “Commissioning will (also) require high-quality management support and we fully expect that (GP) consortia will wish to engage with experienced NHS managers to work with them, both in developing their plans but also in the longer term.”

He also comments on the BMA’s campaign ‘Look after our NHS’, saying: “We believe that it is only by responding critically to the challenges and the potential consequences of the government’s proposals that we can defend the founding principles of the NHS and the principles underpinning our campaign.”

Hear! Hear! Too many people have worked tirelessly for too long to see an impetuous government wreck what is regarded as a model for public health care throughout the world. 
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