Tag Archives: health and social care bill

Paul Burstow

Paul Burstow MP writes: Continuing to support Cancer Networks

By Paul Burstow | Tue 31st May 2011 - 3:06 pm

Governments often pursue brave, bold new policies. But genuinely brave Government isn’t always about acting; it’s about listening, understanding and acting. And it’s also about admitting when you haven’t got it right. You’d have to have been living on another planet not to know that we have “paused” the Health and Social Care Bill. Our Sheffield conference made it perfectly clear that Liberal Democrats will not sign up to proposals without changes. We understand that this has to be much more than superficial tinkering. The message has been received loud and clear: only substantial changes will do. And that’s exactly what we intend to do. But there has also been another example of how this Government is prepared to listen and to act.

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged and | 7 Comments
Tony Greaves

Tony Greaves writes… The health and social care bill. The party has spoken. What happens now?

By Tony Greaves | Mon 14th March 2011 - 3:10 pm

The next big event comes very soon and is nothing to do with the Liberal Democrats or the coalition per se – it’s the BMA’s Special Representative Meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) which they say “will form a key part of our activities to step up member engagement and lobbying”. I suspect it will also get a lot more publicity than the Liberal Democrat conference did.

There are some outrider motions of no confidence in Andrew Lansley and calls for “industrial action” which will result in a lot of press noise and no action, but there seems little doubt that the meeting …

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Posted in Op-eds | 58 Comments
David Rogers

Opinion: Health & Social Care Bill – a local government perspective

By David Rogers | Mon 24th January 2011 - 2:11 pm

Media coverage and comment so far since the Bill was published last week has been largely about GP commissioning, and the abolition of Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities. Naturally there will be risks associated with such an enormous transfer of financial responsibility, but we should most certainly not overlook the underlying localist and patient-centred philosophy, and the opportunities for GPs to become more engaged with a wider health and wellbeing approach in every locality.

GP practices operate in local communities, and councillors are elected to represent those same communities. How should we work with them more …

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , , , and | 19 Comments
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