20.06.12
Political priorities
Mike Farrar has suggested that politicians must put long-term patient interest ahead of their own short-term priorities in order to save the sinking ship that is the NHS.
But not only is this difficult to achieve – identifying best practice in the long-term necessarily requires assumptions to be made – there is little motivation for them to do so.
Even though a long-term approach would undoubtedly be better for patients, these same patients expect certain political action that is quicker, bigger and more impressive. Thus the politicians respond in kind, to secure their own futures first.
More considered decision making would require a social, as well as political, step-change. Simply pointing out the need for a different way of working is easy to do, but implementing real change will be much more difficult, as long as angry electorates rise up in protest at any change or downgrading in services at their local hospital.
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