Nicholson's great big plan is coming.

I’ve got that terrible sinking feeling, the one that the captain of a great oil tanker has when he can see the reef two miles ahead, he’s turned the wheel (it’s only a little knob these days) but nothing is going to turn the ship in time. It’s the lack of control that’s so depressing.

During the last few days there have been a series of articles in the press quoting unnamed ‘senior NHS managers’, and that is a code for a briefing from the head of the NHS; ‘Sir’ David Nicholson who is always described by The Daily Mail as the ‘Man with no shame’ because he won’t resign.

In my recent Blog ‘The Future belongs to us’, I pointed out how often his recent speech at the NHS Confederation referred to making major, fundamental reforms in the time he has left – outside the control of the press or politicians.

All the press briefings (senior managers) are saying that the NHS will run out of money and that fundamental reforms are needed before it’s too late. Coupled with Nicholson’s stated wish to avoid the short-termism and localism of politicians as well as his irritation with the press disagreeing with him;

We are in for a plan to shut all local hospitals, sell off the land, build huge monster regional hospitals, paid for by the Private Finance Initiative.

Everything will be a Foundation Trust – so we have no democratic control, no democratic input, and with the PFI – no financial control.

Of course we will be paying for it all.

Oh, and Sir David Nicholson ends up as Lord Nicholson of Mid Staffordshire as a reward for all the dirty work he has done on behalf of the politicians.

If we let him….

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home:  helpmesortoutthenhs.blogspot.com