Blogs

This week the party health spokespeople set out their visions for the NHS - and mental health, public health and social care – at the Heath and Care debate, which we co-hosted. 

When Lord Saatchi first mooted his now very controversial Medical Innovation Bill last year, it hardly caused a ripple. Private peers’ Bills rarely get anywhere. However, perhaps because of the combination of Lord Saatchi having friends in high places and his considerable public relations skills and resources, this bizarre Bill still actually might become law. This, in spite of the limited parliamentary time available and the fact the Bill, however well intended, has been denounced as both unnecessary and dangerous by the leading doctors’, patients’ and medico-legal organisations.

How patient-centred are we these days?  Are health and social care becoming more attuned to the needs of service users, carers and communities?   These are vital questions as we approach next year’s general election.  At our annual conference on 26 March, National Voices members will consider what progress has been made, what still needs to be done and what politicians ought to do, and not do.

2013 has been another turbulent year in health and care.  The widening gap between demand and funding has revealed problems aplenty.  We have been living through the massive organizational changes created by the 2012 Act.  And the year has been overshadowed by the Francis Report on mid Staffordshire and all the reviews and reactions that came in its wake, including a major reform of regulation.