Same shortcomings of NHS have existed for years

doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7340.792

BMJ 2002;324:792 ( 30 March )

Letters

Same shortcomings of NHS have existed for years

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR $---$ Smith et al's editorial comments on the current problems of the NHS.¹ They mention several shortcomings that I andmany colleagues have wearied of highlighting to governments: decadesof massive underinvestment and serious shortages of acute andintensive care beds and of general practitioners, consultants,nurses, and other healthcareprofessionals.

In a debate on the NHS in the House of Lords in November 2001 many excellent speeches followed my opening remarks, but, asis usual in such debates in the Lords, the views were ignoredby the media (including the BMJ). I made several recommendationsto the government that I regarded as crucially important in thepresent, sad state of the NHS $---$ sad despite the dedication and skill,often deployed under intolerable conditions, of most healthcareprofessionals. I had six principal recommendations:

Increase acute and intensive care beds urgently and reopen closed community hospitals, which accept patients after . . . [Full text of this article]

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