Andy Burnham MP (@andyburnhammp), Shadow Secretary of State for Health, was interviewed this morning by veteran broadcaster, Andrew Neil (@afneil) on #BBCSP.

The question is how well the NHS is prepared for the winter period this time around. This is no time for an amateur. Winter staffing levels and bed capacity are going to be vital planning considerations.

According to Richard Vautrey (Deputy Chair of the BMA GPs committee), “Doctors and all healthcare professionals are hugely frustrated… The political knockabout is hugely frustrating.”

Neil asked Burnham what one move he would implement to relieve the crisis in A&E forecast for this winter.

“I would immediately halt the closure of NHS walk-in centres”, announced Burnham.

There has been much criticism over the NHS 111 ‘rolled out’ by the Coalition, and indeed Keogh this week signalled that he wished to extend the powers of NHS 111 in the next few years in a reconfiguration of A&E services.

Burnham himself has much attacked how people are not clinically trained have to stick to their algorithms, which invariably end with ‘Go to A&E!’ for difficult problems.

“I would put nurses back on the end of phones, and restore the NHS Direct-type service”.

Of course, many people in English health policy feel that the A&E problem has been exacerbated with sometimes inappropriate ‘social admissions’. Burnham cites often that the ‘whole person’ was a founding principle of the National Health Service under Bevan. Therefore it was unsurprising that he should bring up this flagship policy of Labour in this brief interview.

“I want to rethink how the NHS works – the full integration of health and social care.”

Neil then went onto explore other interesting issues currently confronting English health policy.

Should the NHS brace itself for another ‘top down reorganisation’ under Labour after May 8th 2015?

“No it shouldn’t. I will repeal the Health and Social Care Act. Moving forward, it’s all about making the current structures do different things. I will work with the health professions.”

At this point in the interview, Andy Burnham started ‘talking back’ (politely).

“Why don’t you spend time talking about £1.5bn NHS reorganisation?”

GPs have been put in the firing line by Jeremy Hunt, especially the 2004 GP contract. Accessibility to GPs has therefore become a political ‘hot potato’.

Labour has been much criticised for the ‘target driven culture’. Indeed, the political manifestos in 2010 had appeared to signal a shift from this culture. Managers being driven by targets keep on resurfacing in the news headlines; as for example, the recent furore in Colchester.

This, however, was a positive opportunity to talk about a beneficial target which had been scrapped.

“We brought in evening and weekend opening. This has been reversed too.”

“I welcome a move to bring back named GPs. But I want to be clear. It’s got harder to get a GP appointment, as the 48 hour target – which we introduced – has been scrapped.”

The Health and Social Care Act (2012) is fundamentally hinged on a competitive market and its regulation.

It is clear now, however, that competition, heavily touted by some think-tanks, has become a massively flawed plank in policy.

Referring to David Nicholson’s recent evidence in the Health Select Committee, Burnham opined, “Only last week the CEO of the NHS is bogged down in a ‘morasse of competition law”.”

Furthermore Burnham signalled that he welcomed a right for patients to come under GPs outside of their catchment area, as he had indeed promised before the last election.

On the general issue of how GPs are performing, Burnham added quickly, “I think every political party supports transparency.”

This week is likely see a number of proposals from the current Government in response to the latest Francis report about Mid Staffs, which had really put patient safety in the NHS into the public spotlight.

“‘Wilful neglect’ was a recommendation of the Francis Report. You can’t ‘pick and mix’ the recommendations. It is an entire package. It must be implemented in full. This includes safe staffing levels. The Government has a responsibility to staff as well.”

Is the GPs Contract of 2004 to blame? ‘Our survey’ of Stephen Dorrell and Alan Milburn “say no”.

Milburn even called it ‘nonsense’, saying though he felt Jeremy Hunt’s “pain”.

“[The Contract] got changed every year from 2004. There are a lot of myths which have built up around the contract. The 2004 Contract was responsible for the A&E crisis is just spin of the worst kind.”

Then veteran broadcaster Neil started talking about other issues.

“I can’t believe you’re talking about those emails on a national programme. You’re really scraping the barrel.”

They both chuckled and ended the brief interview.

This is no time for an amateur.

He may drive the Tories “nuts”, but yesterday was a virtuoso interview from Burnham.

Andy Burnham MP must become the Secretary State of Health.

 

 

@legalaware