One of the reasons I got involved in politics is the NHS. I saw chronic under-funding in the late 1980s and the poor and impersonal service my Grandmother received while dying with cancer. It may not be popular to say but times have changed and though the NHS is not perfect, it has improved dramatically under Labour; people forget this.
I am now Chair of York’s Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee and on a recent visit to York District Hospital, not one member of staff I met contradicted this. Some rightly pointed out areas that could be improved.
Since Labour came to power, NHS reforms have been tough for staff but waiting lists have reduced, new hospitals have been built, existing hospitals have been upgraded and more staff have been employed. NHS funding has doubled in real terms since 1997. Though there will be individual cases of poor service and a minority of trusts are in deficit, spending and reform has contributed to virtually no one waiting more than six months for an operation (down by nearly 284,000 since 1997), cataracts are down to three months (down from up to two years), 99.3% of cancer patients are treated within a month of diagnosis and cancer death rates are down by 15.7% from 1995-97 (a saving of over 50,000 lives).
President Obama is trying to reform US healthcare. The health insurance lobby, backed by right-wing media and politicians are trying to stop this from happening. Fox News enlisted the help of Conservative MEP, Dan Hannan. He described the NHS as a ‘60 year mistake’ and he ‘wouldn’t wish it on anyone’. Fellow Tory MEP, Roger Helmer said, ‘I think Dan has done us a service’. Then step forward Dr Tannock, a consultant psychiatrist before being elected as a Conservative MEP. He has suggested some people should be charged £10 to see their GP. He said ‘I know they are controversial but I don’t think people who are in a job would be against say spending £10 to see their GP.’ He added ‘so that’s the sort of thing I would like to see.’ So much for the Conservative’s three priorities being N.H. and S.
I disagree with these unpatriotic comments and I think these statements are an insult to 1.4m NHS workers and those in York who rely on the NHS. Cameron recently kicked out Yorkshire Conservative MEP, Edward McMillan-Scott, for not toeing the party line. If the Conservatives priority is really the NHS, then will he do the same with Hannan, Helmer and Tannock? And if not, why not?