Labour rising star to tackle NHS reforms
Andy Burnham, the health minister responsible for delivery and quality, was pitched into the heart of the battle over the labour government's health service changes last week as he took over responsibility for system reform, following the departure of Lord Warner.
Lord Hunt of King's Heath, currently a minister at the Department for Work and Pensions, takes over from Lord Warner in the Lords and will be responsible, among other issues, for the National Health Service's troubled IT programme.
But the key role of system reform also held by Lord Warner, one which embraces thorny issues around regulation of the new NHS market as well as the reconfiguration of hospitals, will go to Mr Burnham who is seen as something of a rising star in Labour ministerial ranks.
Lord Hunt brings extensive experience to his role in the Lords. He was the Lords health minister between 1999 and 2003 and began his career as an NHS manager before becoming director of the then National Association of Health Authorities in the 1980s.
He will have responsibility for the health workforce and some of Mr Burnham's quality issues, while Mr Burnham will be charged with helping get the NHS a decent settlement in the coming spending round, in addition to delivering on the government's commitment to reduce the total wait for NHS treatment to a maximum of 18 weeks by 2008.
From:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/8c6458f2-9d2b-11db-8ec6-0000779e2340.html
When the Financial Times announced on Dec 14 06 that the discredited junior health minister Lord Warner had resigned they suggested that "His departure creates a potential headache for the prime minister who will want to install a minister who is equally committed to the reform programme, while finding a replacement health spokesman in the Lords. Ms Hewitt is likely to rejig ministerial portfolios in her department, with Andy Burnham, who took on responsibility for communications earlier in the year, tipped to take on the reform brief."
Well the FT certainly got this comment right. Though their headline at the time "Blow to Blair's drive on health reform as minister resigns" was somewhat overstated given the troubled Lord's checkered past. Please see Health Direct blog posting on Nov 07, 06 Labour's lying Lord- Baron Warner health minister for some of his rediculous comments.
Health Direct only hopes for the sake of the remains of the NHS that Burnham proves to be a better minister that Warner turned out to be.
Lord Hunt of King's Heath, currently a minister at the Department for Work and Pensions, takes over from Lord Warner in the Lords and will be responsible, among other issues, for the National Health Service's troubled IT programme.
But the key role of system reform also held by Lord Warner, one which embraces thorny issues around regulation of the new NHS market as well as the reconfiguration of hospitals, will go to Mr Burnham who is seen as something of a rising star in Labour ministerial ranks.
Lord Hunt brings extensive experience to his role in the Lords. He was the Lords health minister between 1999 and 2003 and began his career as an NHS manager before becoming director of the then National Association of Health Authorities in the 1980s.
He will have responsibility for the health workforce and some of Mr Burnham's quality issues, while Mr Burnham will be charged with helping get the NHS a decent settlement in the coming spending round, in addition to delivering on the government's commitment to reduce the total wait for NHS treatment to a maximum of 18 weeks by 2008.
From:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/8c6458f2-9d2b-11db-8ec6-0000779e2340.html
When the Financial Times announced on Dec 14 06 that the discredited junior health minister Lord Warner had resigned they suggested that "His departure creates a potential headache for the prime minister who will want to install a minister who is equally committed to the reform programme, while finding a replacement health spokesman in the Lords. Ms Hewitt is likely to rejig ministerial portfolios in her department, with Andy Burnham, who took on responsibility for communications earlier in the year, tipped to take on the reform brief."
Well the FT certainly got this comment right. Though their headline at the time "Blow to Blair's drive on health reform as minister resigns" was somewhat overstated given the troubled Lord's checkered past. Please see Health Direct blog posting on Nov 07, 06 Labour's lying Lord- Baron Warner health minister for some of his rediculous comments.
Health Direct only hopes for the sake of the remains of the NHS that Burnham proves to be a better minister that Warner turned out to be.
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