I have some personal experience of this, a few years ago my elderly mother in law had to go into hospital for tests. But once they had done their medical equivalent of an ‘MOT’ she was simply sent home again! No thought appeared to be given to what support she might need after discharge. This is not an isolated case (remember the stories about ‘bed blocking’ we get every winter?).

Merging PCT’s with principal local authotities would enable a more person-centred apporach to the elderly and vulnerable. Directly electing PCT’s would be (slightly) more democratic but would make only a minor difference operationally.

I feel this isa key difference between the two candidates, and an important one with an ageing UK population.

http://liberalibus.blogspot.com/2007/11/huhne-and-cry.html

That’s what worries me about the attacks.

And some are no less naive in thinking that the contents of a “briefing note” prepared by one’s followers are likely to be significantly different from what their candidate has been saying all the way through. Hardly any wonder he “knew” what was in it, but not necessarily that what had been going around his team had made it to John Sopel, or how it had been topped and tailed before sending.

I have a feeling that American examples are not being entirely ignored, as I suggest here-

http://antonyhook.wordpress.com/2007/11/18/the-clegg-obama-connection/

A quick google on US politics would have shown Huhne how to trash an (in effect) primary opponent with a bit of grace and without damaging the party.

If Clegg had done the same he would have been easily able to rebut the Huhne attack with relative ease.

The fact that both are so unskilled at the basics doesn’t bode well whoever wins.

The next week should be spent ironing out some of the ‘real’ issues to be taking stuff forward. Agree with those saying that the roughing up is nothing compared to what will come.

Have people already forgotten that the only reason we are ditching a wise and principled parliamentarian in Ming Campbell is precisely because the media, and lots of other people, are mean to him?

I have been happy at the prospect of either leader, though I am supporting Huhne. I thought Nick could handle the leadership. Can he or not? If he needs legions of supporters like Rob to cry “unfair” at the first roughing up, then I start to get worried that he cant…

I really dont think what happened today was a big deal. This is politics. It’s rough. The media will make a big thing of it because they were bored with the contest so far. Dont sing to their tune…

Chris was aggressive, sure. But sometimes you have to be.

Nick was being evasive about policy, and Chris was trying to flush him out, which is what a rival candidate is supposed to do.

There are many of us who fear that Nick has an agenda of taking the party to the right (memories of David Owen), and with good reason – the evidence is there. Chris is absolutely right to challenge him.

Let’s have Chris behaving just like that in front of Blair and Cameron at PMQs.

@Steve. I’m not “in an authority dealing with huge Adult Care issues and an ageing population“, so I don’t “know which model would give you a joined up approach, higher quality care and better value for money, and which would not“. Care to enlighten us, as it’s a policy area that I don’t know much about.

Having said that, I’m not to keen on having all the debate be about policy, leaders don’t set policy, but they do help shape it, we set policy, leaders are tasked with selling it, and I concur with Steven’s penultimate paragraph, sitting on a sofa looking completely shocked and unable to get a word in edgeways doesn’t sell anything.

One interesting difference emerged at the Plymouth hustings on the NHS. Nick seemed to be thinking in terms of elected PCT’s while Chris wanted PCT’s to be part of elected Principal Councils along the lines of the Danish model. This is an important difference, and one that would benefit from further exposure. As Lib Dem Leader in an authority dealing with huge Adult Care issues and an ageing population, I know which model would give you a joined up approach, higher quality care and better value for money, and which would not.

So lete have more debate on substantive issues like the NHS, Housing and the Economy please.