- Let’s be honest. There’s a clear link with Islam (£) by David Aaronovitch, The Times
- Intellectual property is an innovation killer by Joshua Lachkovic , KernalMag
- Dumb Idea Hall of Fame by Aaron David Miller, Foreign Policy
- Nadine Dorries threatens Cameron's Party Leadership by Nadine Dorries, Daily Mail
- Boris set for party leadership? by Traci Watson, USAToday
- Anti-Israel students deface Star of David at student conference by Jonny Paul, Jerusalem Post
- Jihadist Videos on University Facebook by Rupert Sutton, Huffington Post UK
- Skintland: Heads I Win, Tails You Lose by Alex Massie, Spectator UK
- Green tax on conservatories by James Slack and Tamara Cohen, Daily Mail
- Saudi princess: What I'd change about my country by Staff writers, BBC
The Health Bill - The government's case (as requested)
John Redwood MP makes the case for the British government's new health bill
1. It shifts power to GPs so they can get the best health care for their patients
The Bill abolishes two layers of administrators (PCTs and SHAs) and the money they now spend on health care will go directly to groups of GPs. GPs will decide how to spend that money working with other health professionals like nurses in what are called Clinical Commissioning Groups.
2. GPs will be able to get health care from the NHS and other organisations. They must get the best treatments, not the cheapest and the Bill encourages GPs to give patients more choice
So, if you have a stiff shoulder you could go to an NHS hospital for physiotherapy or to your more local group of self employed physiotherapists. Your GPs can give you a choice between the two – or even more choice of where to go to fix your shoulder.
In Eastbourne some nurses left the NHS to set up a specialist wound healing clinic. It has a fantastic record of healing people who have suffered from serious problems like leg ulcers for years. GPs will be able to get treatments like this from other not-for-profit organisations, charities and organisations offering health care.
In Broxtowe people in need of help to control pain used to travel to specialist clinics at hospitals in Nottingham. Now their GPs have set up their own award-winning local service – so no more trips to hospital as the service is now nearer to home.
3. It joins things up at a local level
Based on shire or unitary authorities one body called the “Health and Wellbeing Board” will bring together local health and social care services and public health. This Board will be a mix of doctors, other health workers, councillors and patients – all coming together to make sure there is a joined up way of keeping people healthy and making people better.
4. It stops the current system that favours the private sector
The last Government discriminated in favour of private health companies doing work like knee operations. The Bill puts the NHS, not-for-profit organisations, charities and health companies on the same footing.
5. For the first time there is a statutory duty on the NHS to reduce health inequalities
In 2005 the British Medical Journal commented. “The difference between the life expectancy of the richest and poorest in our country is now greater than at any time since Queen Victoria’s reign’ and under Labour the gap grew. The Bill makes it law that the NHS must work together to make sure people everywhere get the same great level of health care.
The Rt Hon John Redwood MP is the Member of UK Parliament for Wokingham and the Chairman of the Conservative Economic Affairs Committee. His articles are cross-posted on his blog by agreement
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