the NHS is worth 'weponising.' It wins votes

The NHS Support Federation today showed that of those contracts offered to non-NHS organisations over sixty percent of services had been subcontracted out to private providers during each of the last 5 years. Ed, ‘scream now if you love a hunk #millifandom’ Miliband was lapping it up. He slammed the Tories for being the proponents of a stealthy privatisation of our NHS but is this aptly timed outing a ‘weponisation?’ Or a subject on which labour’s policy can give them an edge in the polls over the other parties.

The Tories and Andrew Landsleys reforms have been disastrous and todays research left no room for rebut. The argument that, in the recent past the number of private providers in the NHS has only risen by a few percentage points, will just not stick. And the old charge that only approximately 6p in every one NHS pound falls into the hands of the profit makers won’t either after today.

Private patient provision rose by 58% between 2009 and 2014 and of 13 contracts of over £100 million, only 2 NHS organisations won contracts. The Tories are aware of an overall sense of satisfaction that emanates from the public on the subject of the NHS. The commonwealth fund in 2010 put patient confidence higher than that of Germany France or the US at 92%. It is likely however, in my view that the public’s levels of satisfaction are bumped up by an ideological will to ensure it remains a public entity for the common good and I would suggest that a public with their hearts set on an NHS for the public good wouldn’t look kindly on the idea of increased privatisation.

The Guardian this week asked members of the health service about where their allegiances would lie this election. One consultant suggested, contrary to the advice of his own accountant and common intuition, he would cross the labour box on May the 7^th in order to combat what is widely seen as madness amongst his fellow colleagues. The tory message, that they are intent on retaining an NHS free at the point of use, regardless of the creeping privatisation, I doubt will be enough for the electorate. This is especially so at a time when the NHS requires a huge injection of funding to continue to provide a decent service.

The Tories have promised to protect the NHS budget but as promises have begun to come thick and fast from Tory HQ which as the IMF said, shed no light on policy from the electorates perspective, the public may prefer a Labour Party ‘fully costed’ message. This of course is anything but that. However, It is about perception and for voters like the Guardian’s Consultant Doctor, Ed’s ‘I won’t promise anything I can’t deliver’ policy, coupled with a commitment to a cap of 2% on private provision, this might tantalise the most staunch Tory healthcare professional, or indeed anyone with a personal stake in our NHS.