With our NHS limping from one catastrophe to another, our primary care trusts struggling to balance their books after being millions in debt, forcing staff cuts and bed closures on an essential front-line service, surely this is the time for 
Patricia Hewitt to resign.
There is no public confidence in how she has carried out her job as Secretary of State for Health. Charles Clarke was forced to resign when it became clear how shambolic the Home Office was run, it is now time for Hewitt to follow suit.
She is responsible for the PCTs and yet 9 out of 10 were reported as being only weak or fair, it is obviously a system that has failed. The Health Commission’s report has told the NHS to raise its game if it is to serve patients as they deserve, that patients want a “universal guarantee” that trusts are meeting general standards, including safety and cleanliness, and that they expect these standards to be met next year.
Labour has had 9 years to provide these essential services and failed, so another year is not going to make any difference. Their time in office resulted in more than 18,000 NHS jobs being axed, hospitals and wards facing closure and many trainee doctors and nurses unable to find jobs. They have the worst deficit in the history of the NHS. A desperately disillusioned hospital consultant has even formed a political party to challenge the Government.
A report in today’s local paper tells how a woman suffering from excruciating toothache in Suffolk was told by NHS Direct helpline that the nearest available treatment was in Wolverhampton – 200 miles away – sums up the mess the NHS is in, it is in decay. It is now time to act on healing our stricken NHS by seeking Hewitt’s resignation.
Hewitt’s resignation won’t solve anything. She will just be replaced by another incompetent. She may as well stay put.
The Government has no clue as to how to sort out the NHS. And they won’t listen to advice from those who are better placed to know. We may as well hobble on with Hewitt. She can’t make things any worse than they already are.
Bel, Isn’t that the easy way out? But I must admit I am at a loss to suggest an alternative who could do the job?
I’m afraid I agree with Bel. Leave the incompetent Hewitt there. She might gradually become less incompetent given time.
Here’s an example of the ravages being wrought on my local PCT, from Today’s Scunthorpe Telegraph:
“The PCT has already announced a raft of cuts – including not providing IVF treatment for a year and it intends to defer surgery, such as hip and knee replacements, non-emergency gall bladder and varicose vein surgery, for people who have a body mass index of more than 30, who smoke and who have high blood pressure.”
Not only cuts, but those who pay the highest taxes on their disposable income, who therefore might think they pay more than their fair share towards the NHS, (smokers/drinkers/junk foot eaters etc.) are being refused treatment altogether.
It makes me laugh how Labour can claim the NHS is ‘safe in their hands’.
Does it really matter – aren’t Labour going to be out soon?
Even with their incompetence it beggars belief that they can double spending to nearly £3000 pounds per tax payer per year and still have a systme in a mess.
Hewitt should be first up against the wall when the revolution comes…
Our failing NHS system is one reason why Labour will get booted out at the next election.
I think Patricia Hewitt has completely destroyed her own credibility:
“Ms Hewitt told the BBC: ‘Improving financial management does not mean compromising services for patients. Any action that the NHS takes to reduce deficits should not lower the quality of care provided to patients.'”
Filed 27 January 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4625620.stm
“the NHS is enjoying ‘its best year ever’ according to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt.”
Filed 22 April 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4935358.stm
“David Nicholson, the man responsible for leading implementation of reforms, said there would be up to 60 ‘reconfigurations’ of NHS services, affecting every strategic health authority in the land. . . But most will be aimed at redesigning the NHS to improve care by concentrating key services in fewer hospitals. Mr Nicholson identified A&E departments, paediatrics and maternity services as areas where provision would have to be overhauled. ‘Undoubtedly there will be tough decisions to make over the next 12 months to reflect changing services,’ he said.”
Filed 13 September 2006
http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,1871191,00.html
“The first evidence of the scale of NHS reorganisation that ministers want to push through across England came yesterday in health authority documents suggesting the number of hospitals providing full emergency services may be halved.”
Filed 14 September 2006
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/publicservices/story/0,,1872056,00.html
If anyone imagines that closing half the full emergency departments in district hospitals won’t affect patient care then they have no business being health minister.
NHS must improve the quilty of their service to patients and their financial management and has Tony Blair really cut down the waiting time?And will IT programme work?(it will fail like all rhe other programmes)Wish you well
Bob B, I rest my case.
As with many of his failing ministers Blair can’t sack them as they are protecting him from mistakes that are essentially his and Gordon Brown’s.
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