Flies on the walls of Whitehall must have buzzing ears with all the gossip flying around.  Now that  Amanda Pritchard (late CEO of NHS England) has resigned, and then the shock announcement that NHSE (NHS England) was being dissolved, things must be topsy-turvey along the corridors.

At first i welcomed the announcement of NHS England’s demise – until I heard it was being taken over by the Dept. Health.  So nothing changes.  Wes Streeting (Minister of Health) seems to have got the bit between his teeth, sweeping Whitehall clean of the old mess – but I can’t see anything changing for the better.. 

Streeting speaks of giving local leaders the tools they need to deliver on the government’s three shifts for the NHS. “this move is intended to “liberate” NHS staff and local NHS leaders, “setting them free from over-centralisation”.

And I have just seen pigs flying past the window.

When will Whitehall and its politicians realise we don’t need them and all their impractical ‘inititives’ creating paperwork and confusion.  What we need is Clinicians in charge, who will provide what WE need – not airy fairy  “inovations”. 

As Chris Naylor of The King’s Fund says if “”The government wants a ‘neighbourhood health service’. The first step is to agree what that means”.

Instead, the bureaucrats will make more cuts, to pay for the “new” initiatives;  the Civil servants come up with. more crazy ideas to fill forms,  meanwhile the PBP (poor blxxdy patient) i.e us, will suffer even more.

Unless we PBPs take matters into our own hands

 YOU know what services are needed?

If so, mow is the time to demand these.  With Whitehall in turmoil.  But if patients know what is needed locally, could find  it worthwhile to demand this – now.  Anyone who already had set out a plan for NHS services could find that the Dept. Health will look favourably on funding and setting it up.  Anything that will make them look good in the eyes of the voters.  So if you know a service is needed locally, from a Falls Prevention Cliinic, Early Diagnosids Unit, etc. etc. get support from

• Your MP
• Your GP and / or their surgery
• patient Groups (PPGs)
• charities

And put in your demands, pronto.  If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

 GO TO IT ~ AND MAY THE BEST PATiENT-FOCUSSED PLANS WIN.