How the government is failing the health service

doi:10.1136/bmj.a784

Published 14 July 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a784
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a784

Letters

Media and health service

How the government is failing the health service

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

Snow’s article is a refreshing reminder that most of theNHS works very well.¹ But it’s not just the media thatconcentrate on the rare instances of poor practice to make sensationalclaims that sell their papers: the government does exactly thesame, apparently to turn our patients against us and supporttheir political reforms.

A good example comes from the government’s own £23msurvey showing that 84% of patients are content with their generalpractitioners’ opening hours; its response (presumablypremeditated) is to beat us over the head with the other 16%and impose extended opening hours.

An insight into the government’s philosophy was providedby its health minister in national news broadcasts on 3 July.Ben Bradshaw announced that gentlemen’s agreements operatethat mitigate against lists being open to new patients and thereforework against real patient choice. Bradshaw was forced to climbdown by balanced journalism on . . . [Full text of this article]

Richard A D O’Brien, general practitioner principal

¹ East Quay Medical Centre, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4GP

RichardAOB@aol.com