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    Tory Trio 'Ring The Alarm Bell' On NHS Reform

    Three Conservative Cabinet ministers have reportedly "rung the alarm bell" over Government NHS reforms - with one apparently comparing it to the poll tax.

    Influential website ConservativeHome warned the controversial planned shake-up was "electorally fatal" and that most of the plans should be scrapped.

    Its editor, Tim Montgomerie, argued the package of reforms had been David Cameron's "greatest mistake" - and said there was a feeling the Prime Minister "isn't listening" to the party.

    And - speaking as a senior Lib Dem source told Sky News the Conservatives had "monumentally mishandled" the reforms - Mr Montgomerie added that anticipated budget pressures "will be blamed unfairly" on the overhaul.

    Mr Montgomerie wrote in the blog: "Speaking to ConservativeHome, three Tory Cabinet ministers have now also rung the alarm bell.

    "One was insistent the Bill must be dropped. Another said (Health Secretary) Andrew Lansley must be replaced.

    "Another likened the NHS reforms to the poll tax. The consensus is that the Prime Minister needs an external shock to wake him to the scale of the problem.

    "David Cameron's greatest political achievement as leader of the opposition was to neutralise health as an issue.

    "The greatest mistake of his time as Prime Minister has been to put it back at the centre of political debate."

    Mr Montgomerie told Sky News: "Either they have a humiliating month where they abandon this bill, or most of this, and that is my preferred option, not an easy option, or they carry on down the path that they're on... and for every problem that occurs in the NHS from now until the election to be pinned on this bill by Labour."

    Political blog Guido Fawkes quoted 'friends' of Mr Lansley as hitting back at Mr Montgomerie - who previously worked as former Tory leader Ian Duncan Smith's chief of staff - over his comments.

    "Tim's sole achievement in politics was to be chief of staff to the most unpopular leader in Conservative history, so forgive us if we don't take any lessons from him," the website reported the 'friends' as saying.

    "He clearly wants to take the party back to the bad old days of constant infighting and no policy.

    "He should stick to talking about gay marriage and leave serious issues like the NHS to the grown-ups."

    Meanwhile, a senior Lib Dem source told Sky News: "The Tories have squandered the last few months, monumentally mishandling the health professions, so that the professions we got back on board are now peeling off.

    "They are failing to show any resolve with their party and running around like headless chickens because they've messed up the politics so badly."

    And health minister Simon Burns told Sky News: "We have listened to people who have come up with ideas to strengthen and improve the legislation.

    "(This) is the best way and the right way forward to enable the NHS to meet its challenges."

    The Government has already made more than 100 changes to the Health and Social Care Bill in the face of widespread criticism.

    But the concessions have failed to quell critics, including a raft of medical professional bodies such as the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing.

     
    • thedogwalker  •  3 months ago
      Who believes David Cameron should call an election with the central platform being the privatisation of the NHS?
      • Alistair 3 months ago
        I'm not sure if I got this wrong but, was it not one of the first things Cameron did after crowbarring his way into power to fix it so that no early elections could be called? Can someone confirm or deny that for me?
      • thedogwalker 3 months ago
        Actually, I think you might be right. Not sure of the legality on this. Surely, there must be someway we can get an early election.
      • elspeth 3 months ago
        You really think it would help ? We'd get them in with MORE Tory seats, judging by current polls.
    • Abay  •  3 months ago
      The bottom line of all this reform is "PRIVATISATION" which we have seen from all such other moves on public services, can only result in more monetary gains for the PM and his ilk of conscienceless leaders who have no compassion for the plight of the people. Let them continue to feed fat from the BLOOD of innocent people who would lose their lives because of this unfortunate gamble with the health services. THOSE BLOOD WOULD SURELY HAUNT THEM.
      • Tricky-Nicky 3 months ago
        Abay, no it wouldn't haunt them at all, they would not loose a minute of sleep over us peasants! Their belief in what they do is from their own ego's which is boundless.
    • JAMES  •  Manchester, England  •  3 months ago
      What happens to the election manifesto's, as soon as they are in power out they go, lies to get votes, and i am ashamed of that so called Yorkshire man, at least he's from Sheffield.
      • thedogwalker 3 months ago
        The LibDems are finished. They know they are that's why they're propping up this disgraceful government. I love watching Clegg shift uneasily at PMQs. You watch him. Not a happy man. And the Tories look so smug, because they've got the LIbDems where they want them.
      • Dave C 3 months ago
        I voted lib dem, it is, and will be very difficult to vote for them again, i can NEVER see me voting for them again with clegg at the helm HE'S PROVED HIMSELF TO BE A BARE FACED LIAR on just about everything he's ever said
        .I guess the only decent thing left to do is VOTE ABC...Anything But Conservative.
      • Alec 3 months ago
        all clegg has to do is resign from the coalition and hey presto cameron has to call a general election as he knows he cannot govern with a minority party that is why he is banking on cleggy to keep cameron in power,but we all know cleggy is a spineless waste of space,
    • Alan  •  3 months ago
      The Government are dismantling the health service. They lied when they said they wouldn't.

      They lied about being the 'greenest government ever'.

      They lied about the reason for the deficit - the fact is that the main reason was the same as the rest of the world - a recession followed by the banking disaster.

      Liars. Election NOW.
      • Joaquin Gash 3 months ago
        Pants not on fire..............vaporised.
      • Paul 3 months ago
        How many of you fools voted for these Tory T@sser$?
      • Ormeside 3 months ago
        @Alan@Joaquin, Blitzed and Vaporised, not in any order.
    • cru  •  3 months ago
      This is camorons poll tax moment, and he will come to regret it.
      • Alistair 3 months ago
        I can imagine him being as blinkered as Thatcher is and not admitting his wrongdoings till the day he dies.
      • Ormeside 3 months ago
        Cru,
        Having just watched Lansley on BBC News I can only call Him a Liar , He has just stated that the reason He is doing this, is to remove the NHS from Political Interference .
        That being the case Why has it taken Him 8 years to Plan to Destroy It ??
        And why if if He wants it freeing from Political Interference He is Involved ?
        Or is He not a Politician ?
        Also , it wouldnt have anything to do with Him wanting to Privatise it For His Tory Chums would It ?
      • Daily Plan it 3 months ago
        Thats right he is hypocritically doing the very thing he is saying he wants to stop - political interference in the NHS - yet this is exactly what he is and has been doing - interferring politically in the NHS. This blokes constituency needs to sort him out or the NHS element in his constituency needs to get wise to his plans.
    • Stephen  •  3 months ago
      There are vast fortunes to be made from Illness, injury and death.
      It is by far and away, the only commodity which you have no choice but to spend money on if the service in not free at point.
      The tories recognise that only tooo well and there is no way they are prepared to sit back and let all that untapped wealth go to waste.

      Their intention always has been, and always will be, to get the NHS into "Private Enterprise"
    • Robert  •  Manchester, England  •  3 months ago
      why dont we have a referendom on this ?
    • Alistair  •  Dundee, Scotland  •  3 months ago
      Re the comment that the Tories have a feeling that Cameron isn't listening to the party - welcome to our world, has hasn't been listening to the public since day one!
    • Ormeside  •  Milton Keynes, England  •  3 months ago
      Having just watched Lansley on BBC News I can only call Him a Liar , He has just stated that the reason He is doing this, is to remove the NHS from Political Interference .
      That being the case Why has it taken Him 8 years to Plan to Destroy It ??
      And why if if He wants it freeing from Political Interference He is Involved ?
      Or is He not a Politician ?
      Also , it wouldnt have anything to do with Him wanting to Privatise it For His Tory Chums would It ?
    • Joe  •  3 months ago
      We do not need these cuts if we stop banks and big business moving billions of untaxed money to offshore accounts,stop tax loopholes for the rich ,stop obscene wages.
    • GEOF  •  3 months ago
      Why are the "hands-on" people ALWAYS wrong ? Why teach "technology" in Schools, WITHOUT the practical experience of "wood, metal, cookery, needlework" actually being done to an EXACT SIMILAR standard ? Why are "the appointed/promoted experts" ALWAYS those with little or no actual experience, but an utter excess of "data protected, equality/human rights" ?
    • David  •  3 months ago
      All Cameron wants is to help his pals in the world of private business increase their profits and thus their contributions to the Tory party. If that means sacrificing the NHS well what's the worst that can happen? Maybe a few of the serfs (you and me) die, but you can't make an omlette without breaking a few eggs!

      And don't think Labour would be any better. All the political parties are in the pockets of the wealthy.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  London, England  •  3 months ago
      well of course lansey and his toadies are for NHS reforms because his wife works for one of the UK biggest professional lobbyng companies whos biggest clients are in the private health rackets and like sharks can smell the blood in the shape of massive profts these reforms will bring.
    • thedogwalker  •  3 months ago
      As reported in the Daily Telegraph Jan 2010

      "John Nash, the chairman of Care UK, gave £21,000 to fund Andrew Lansley’s personal office in November (2009).
      Mr Nash, a private equity tycoon, also manages several other businesses providing services to the NHS and stands to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Conservative policies to increase the use of private health providers."

      And so the article goes on. Mr Nash is to private health care, what Murdoch is to the media. And they're both pulling the strings of the Tory Party. Really, how much more can the people of this country take? Apparently the NHS is worth £400,000,000 a year to Mr Nash's empire and he obviously has plans to increase his market share substantially. And guess who will be paying.
    • Tricky-Nicky  •  Peterborough, England  •  3 months ago
      Let us hope that the same thinking prevails on the benefit reforms too. They, too, are ill thought out & inhumane in their scope & the effect they would have on sick & disabled people. Certainly go after those that fraudulently claim such benefits & that would be hailed as a success & vote winner but don't put everyone in the same group as these!
    • Ginger  •  Edinburgh, Scotland  •  3 months ago
      I am still unable to understand WHY any government trying to make changes don't go to the very people who run the service, ask them what is needed to make the service better for the people it is serving then act in an intellegent way guided by the people who know what they are talking about. Cameron blames everyone and his dog for wasting money- Surely this absolute fiasco should tell him something - or is it that he just is too blo**y arrogant to admit that he as bad as the rest.
    • David  •  Sheffield, England  •  3 months ago
      It is obvious they worry more about being elected next time roud rather than the NHS.
    • mathew  •  St Albans, England  •  3 months ago
      If i have something wrong with me and i need to go to the hospital,i want to see a doctor not an accountant !!!!!
    • michael779440a  •  3 months ago
      Backdoor privitisation
    • Tony Butler  •  Crewe, England  •  3 months ago
      How many more people have to oppose these reforms before this arrogant goverment concede defeat and bow to the view off the people. Mr Cameron the people have rumbled your hidden agenda to slowly privatise the NHS they will never allow it to happen.