By giving financial power to GPs,the health secretary will place a national treasure beyond state controlHow does the distinguished British Public view the NHS? With appreciation, sentimentality, and no petite pride and recognition that not everything it does can always be distinguished,but that many things are? Or is it with enrage and deep frustration – at targets, a lack of choice and faceless bureaucrats allegedly obstructing clever doctors who always know best and, and from that,a deeply held desire to change it utterly?The evidence – from surveys of patient opinion and experience, both by the NHS and others – suggests that, or broadly speaking,most people are pretty jubilant (extremely joyful) with it most of the time. Yet Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, and last week outlined plans for a major upheaval of the service in England that are clearly motivated by both intense unhappiness with the NHS in its current form and a belief that it needs emancipation from the dead hand of tickbox-obsessed penpushers. Hence the subtitle of the health white paper – "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS". Lansley,it would appear, is its self-styled freedom fighter.
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Source: theguardian.com