Reply #144: Whoever gets in the driving seat ALWAYS wants to change the NHS.

[mwooldri]

Doesn't matter if it's Conservative or Labour or a coalition. Politicians will be meddling with the NHS forever. However if it results in really crappier healthcare for everyone, expect the nurses *and* the patients to go out on strike and go on demonstration in Central London right down in Westminster.

People are pretty protective of the NHS. Even in Toryland.... when a health trust was considering shutting down a hospital in a three hospital cluster because all three of them weren't big enough, there was a whole almighty demonstration (with good cause) - because if any one of those three hospitals considered for closure did happen to close, it would mean that ambulances would not get access to an A&E department (emergency room) fast enough and have an awful long trip to get there.

Even when it came to the local village hospital in my "hometown" - the health trust wanted to shutter that one too... but the hospital supporters got together and forced the health trust to keep it open through the court system. The trust said the facilites were getting too old and the hospital needed to close and be redeveloped for a nice big new health centre... so the hospital supporters said "We agree. Here is a new site you can build that health centre on... plus a brand new hospital too, and we'll raise the money to build it for you". Yes, deep in the heart of Toryland, in a part of the country where housing is so expensive you have to be a rock star to afford a new house, the people are willing to organise a charity fundraiser for a brand new hospital and health centre ... and actually achieve the fund raising goals. A new village hospital complete with health centre will be built on the village-purchased site.

Mark.