Health and care services are in crisis. Record numbers of people on waiting lists, stubbornly high staff vacancy rates, outdated buildings and equipment no longer fit for purpose are all contributing to the crisis. Far too many people are struggling to get the care they need.
According to the British Social Attitudes survey public satisfaction with the NHS has hit its lowest on record. This adds to the sense of crisis.
The same survey found that support remains strong for the NHS model of a tax-funded, universally available, largely free at the point of use service.
Despite this unwavering public support, some commentators and politicians remain wedded to the outdated concepts of austerity and an increasingly privatised service. They argue that the current situation (which they helped to create) means that the NHS model is ‘broken’ and that the only solution is some sort of ‘radical’ alternative.
I feel a sense of anger, frustration, and despair. So many of these ideas have been repeatedly proposed, attempted, then rejected, for decades.
Surely it is now time for stability in the Health and Care services. Time for a transformation that is driven by patient needs and real evidence rather than a failed political ideology. Time for adequate and consistent resourcing with enough capital and revenue funding to meet the needs of our population.
Is health and social care provision perfect? Far from it. Are some of the alternatives being proposed likely to make things better for most people? Where is the real evidence to suggest that it will?
I will never stop fighting for our NHS. I will never stop defending social care. Both are part of the bedrock of a decent society.
Chris Bain 