The Telegraph, 15 January 2017
The Telegraph published an article on the current state of NHS hospitals. Andrew Haldenby, Director of Reform, was quoted in the article. “In Germany you go to hospital, but when you start to recover you move on, probably to another unit on the same site,” says Andrew Haldenby, director of the think tank, Reform. “If you’re very sick you need to be in hospital but there comes a point when you don’t need all the bells and whistles that go with a hospital bed.” At least one private company is trying to introduce such German-style units to Britain but an illogical resistance to this is slowing the pace of change, adds Haldenby: “Politicians talk about the private sector as if it’s barely in the NHS because in the public mind private equals having to pay, but almost all GPs are self-employed, so are dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists. Every MRI scanner is made by a private company. The whole thing is a big public/private partnership.
“Health reform is hard because there are such powerful lobbies, particularly the BMA. They are willing to genuinely fight any government they think is changing the system not to the benefit of their members . If you ask “Who do you trust?” polls will tell you 90% of people say doctors 5% politicians, it’s an unfair battle.”
Read the full article here.