I was hoping to blog about Ed Miliband’s first speech as the Labour Party leader, but I’m afraid there isn’t an awful lot to say…
Granted, Ed’s team may not have had very long to get the words together, and the Party seem quite happy to admit they are still working out their new policies. That said, considering the Government’s plans for such massive health reforms, it was disappointing that the leader of Opposition didn’t have anything to say on the matter!
By contrast, Andy Burnham, who is for now still Shadow Health Secretary used appearances at the Health Debate and Health Hotel Reception to make clear his aversion to the Health White Paper. He was particularly scathing about the Government’s localism agenda. It is also his opinion that at a time of financial uncertainty reorganisation of the NHS is potentially disastrous.
These views are shared by Baroness Glenys Thornton who represented Labour’s health team at Parkinson’s UK, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Help the Hospices’ joint fringe event called “Smarter spending for better care.”
For this session, I was part of a group discussing how hospices can respond to health reforms and how best to deliver end of life care. There was some very interesting ideas bouncing around the table about financial incentives, registers to record patients’ preferences about where they want to be cared for and, of course, a more joined up health and social care services.
This is a hugely important topic for so many cancer patients nearing the end of their lives. As Vanessa explained yesterday, we know that most cancer patients want to die at home, but less than a quarter of them are able to do so.
I was eager to point out that 24/7 community nursing is key to helping people to die at home if they wish to do so and pleasingly, Baroness Thornton, who was keen to stress that the Labour Party are in listening mode, was supportive of this call.
Let’s hope she and her health colleagues make the most of the freedom an Opposition party has to press the Government on this issue and ask them how they plan to ensure more cancer patients nearing the end of their lives can die where they want to.
What would you like to see the Labour Party questioning the Government about?
