I rather monopolised discussion time after our Meeting for Worship this morning, summarising the conferences I'd been to recently, and explaining the problems that are going to arise if the government go ahead with their plans for the NHS. Not only are experienced people leaving the Primary Care Trusts in droves, the new commissioning bodies aren't due to start work for another 18 months, so there's going to be a hiatus when no-one is steering the ship. Then there are all the areas that PCTs currently fund, which aren't going to be handed over to the GPs, and that the government have not even published any thoughts about. Most GPs I talk to want to practice medicine, not run a business. Then there's the toothless watchdog Healthwatch - the government have just emasculated NICE, and are likely to do the same with any watchdog that tries to sink its teeth into the profit making areas around the NHS.
John
