Involve doctors in health policy or risk damaging the NHS, BMA warns

Doctors’ leaders are calling on politicians to involve doctors in developing health policy or risk damaging the NHS. This was the message given by BMA Chairman, Mr James Johnson, ahead of the political party conference season. In a newsletter to Westminster MPs and Peers, Mr James Johnson says: “All over England doctors are seriously worried by the rapid introduction of new reforms, fragmentation of services, the lack of evaluation of new policy measures, over emphasis on the role of the independent sector, and a lack of clear vision on the direction of travel.

“This year has seen vitally needed healthcare professionals losing their jobs. Doctors report on their cancelled clinics, empty operating theatres and patient referrals diverted to referral management centres where patients are often redirected. The BMA is dismayed by the incoherence of current government policies and the damage they cause to the NHS and the delivery of patient care.

“Healthcare should be free at the point of delivery, ethically rationed by clinical priority without discriminatory values, equitably resourced and funded out of general taxation. These fundamental values cannot be maintained if the NHS is broken up and tendered to commercial corporations which are accountable to shareholders rather than to patients.”

Mr Johnson believes that only by engaging with doctors will the NHS work for patients.

He says: “Doctors have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to foster innovation and the NHS is a proven mechanism that can deliver, and has delivered, reform. Any NHS reform must be based on the values of co-operation, strategic planning and equity and should deliver integrated care. It is also important that the NHS creates an environment in which teaching, training and research can flourish.

“Policies are too often developed without the involvement of NHS staff and patients. I believe that if doctors and other healthcare staff are allowed to get involved in every aspect of managing, running and shaping the NHS, we can make the NHS work well for patients and for the staff within it.“

http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/PR-Involve+doctors+in+health+policy+or+risk+damaging+the+NHS%2C+BMA+warns+-+31+Aug+2006

Health Direct notes that the BMA used to be fairly bipatisan, but in recent months they have started to put the boot into the labour govt's fragmentation and closure with growing forcefullness.

Basically calling the new labour reforms as having a lack of clear vision- ie rubbish, it implies that those currently at the top ought to stand aside now.

Please see also: June 29, 2006- Doctors toughen position against Labour's NHS reforms- the British Medical Association moved towards near total opposition to market-like reforms to the National Health Service yesterday. It called for no further involvement of the private sector, a potential end to the split between purchasers and providers and to the private finance initiative.