27.03.11
Labour seizes on leaked draft risk register
A draft version of the risk register on the Health and Social Care Bill has been leaked, and suggests that emergencies in the NHS could be less well managed under the Government reforms.
This follows the ruling by the Information Commissioner for the Government to publish the Transition Risk Register in addition to Labour’s calls for the risks to be made public.
The document, leaked by health writer Roy Lilley, reads: “The NHS role in emergency preparedness/responsiveness is more difficult to manage through a more devolved organisation, and so emergencies are less well managed/mitigated.”
Other areas of high risk included the loss of financial control due to the restructuring of budgets, and damage to the public perception of the transition.
The opposition has labelled the register a “damning indictment of the health bill”.
Liz Kendall, the shadow social care minister, said: “It shows beyond doubt the high risks the bill poses to patients and taxpayers. The Government has repeatedly tried to hide these risks, but its own assessment of the bill makes them devastatingly clear. Patients and the public will not forget or forgive David Cameron for his reckless NHS gamble.”
Andy Burnham, shadow health secretary, said: “Now we know why David Cameron refused to publish the risk register before the bill was through parliament – it’s because civil servants were telling him his reorganisation was likely to cause major damage to the NHS. David Cameron will never be forgiven for knowingly taking these risks with the country’s best-loved institution.”
However, a Department of Health spokesperson said: “We have always been open about risk and have published all relevant information in the impact assessments alongside the bill.”
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