Public 'Bemused' Over Coalition's NHS Reforms

... I'm not 'bemused' because I understand completely that any "reform" of ANY public service under this Government means one thing... carving it up to give to the private sector in order to simply make a profit. Tories are ideologically opposed to the State being the provider of anything and will always (a) reduce spending and then (b) privatise whatever is left. Understand that, and you know all there is to know about free-market Toryism. What's there to be 'bemused' about?

I spent nearly a lifetime working in the NHS an survived half a dozen reorganisations, each leaving the NHS in a worse shape than before. When are the politicians going to learn, leave well alone, the Nation,'s health must not become a political football?

"Any reform of something as important as the NHS will cause controversy."

Yeah, especially if you're selling it off to profit your friends in private sector healthcare. Get your filthy hands off our health service!

REFORMS - tell me the last goverment that reformed anything and made it more efficient,more cost friendly, more anything. It just does not happen.

This is just the Tory government selling off the NHS to their friends. Doctors are already gearing up clinics and practices in readiness for this. Huge profits will be made at our expense.

@Mike Smith, just exactly do you know about the NHS? I spent 30 years in the NHS, the latter years as a nurse manager on the shop floor. One of the reasons for the inefficiency in the NHS has been decades of political interference - and all political parties are as much to blame. Nevertheless, we on the inside knew that it was Tory dogma to private the service as soon as they could. Believe me this would not be to the advantage of the middle and lower classes of the this country. I have recently heard that the Tories answer to the failings of PFI (which those of us inside predicted - not that it took much intelligence) is to not renegotiate the obscene profits the privateers are making, but to throw more taxpayers at hospitals to make up the deficit - in reality the taxpayers are paying twice. The public should not be bemused but very, very afraid.

'No top-down reorganisation of the NHS' - remember that Mr Lansley? Given your pre-election promises I think people are bemused that these 'reforms' are happening at all.

Be afraid, be very afraid. This is the end of the NHS as we know it.This government are hell bent on destroying everything good about this country. It's time they were out no if's no buts.

Yesterday I posted my concerned at the intellect of M.P.'s and the comment of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley offers me no reassurance. In an attempt to discredit the BMA he describes it as a trade union. The BMA is a professional body and not affiliated, as an organization, to any political party. It has been equally critical of changes where they believed them to be regressive to patient treatment or care, irrespective of the government colour.

Shame on you Mr. Lansley. One final point worthy of mention - I have more respect for my G.P. and his practice than all the recent out-pourings from Westminster. They have a very much higher professional standing and seem better informed of what is available or needed.

Driven on by their profit eager mates in the private sector the government will keeping pushing forward in the big battle to privatise the NHS - just like they always do when they get into power - never has the term 'Tug of War' been so appropriate. It's time to man the barricades once again.

Will All of you ask your MPs why the NHS is footing the Bill of £23 million pounds per Annum for Interpreters when it is a Politicians Problem ??
The NHS was set up for Medical Care and not for interpretation Duties !
No Wonder its going To Ruin ? The Coalition want it to !

Put decision making in the hands of local GPs (who by the way don't want to do it), who have serious vested interests in the profitability of their own practices and are smarting about having their own pay frozen for 2+ years ... and see how 'in the public interest' their decision making will be!

every new prime minister and there teams always try to rectify the damage there predecessors have made, it just makes thje whole situation worse

Scameron and lansley the torys and the lib dem dimwits are a disgrace to this country. roll on an election lets oust this bunch of traiterous thugs.

Lansley described the BMA as just a trade union so why was the tory monkeys so keen to leave them out of the meeting. As I remember it the last time the torys faced a militant trade union they set the metropolitan police bully boys on them, paying extortionate overtime to allow the storm troopers to beat and starve the unions into submmission

I'm Bemused that We or the NHS has just paid out £ 23 million in Interpreters Fees ?
Surely this Should come from Government Funding ? everything is being interpreted in This Lousy Governments Favour !
If this Government wants to Remain in the EU then this Government should Pay for it !!!!!!!!
The NHS is a Health Provider and as Such should only deal with Health !
Politicians on the Other Hand have made Their Bed and should Lie in it !
After all they are Quite Good at Lying .

PS. I have already spotted my typing errors - I was being distracted at the time.

Labour opposes the reforms to please their union bosses" I suppose the tories are not trying to please their big business bosses by lining up the NHS for privatization

We must all wake up and stop this before its too late , the only way they will get this thing through is our aparthy !

Lansley states that Labour are trying to please their union 'masters' as if it's a bad thing. Labour are heavily financed by the unions and they in turn are financed by the workers. It is Labours job to speak for the working people. If the vast majority of us do not want these reforms, then the coalition have no mandate to impose them upon us.