ConservativeHome's Bournemouth 2006 Conference blog

Andrea Leadsom interviews Andrew Lansley

I asked Andrew what would be the one thing he would change in the NHS right now, if he could. His answer was to ‘make real’ GP budget holding.  That way, money could truly follow patients, and care would be truly patient centred.

I asked him for his vision of the future for the NHS.  He said that Social Responsibility is at the heart of the vision…..professionals need to be given the responsibility and the resources to meet the needs of their local communities, without interference from politicians.

On target setting, Andrew believes targets must be set, but only for ‘outcomes’.  For example, the survival rate after cancer or heart surgery, NOT the maximum wait for a consultation.  Micro management by government creates unintended consequences, blockages and resource diversions away from what really matters.

Andrew wants patients to be at the centre of all decision taking – that means much more consultation, not just on treatments, but also on the structure patients want for their NHS… is specialisation of treatment more important than easy local access to services?

Andrew believes we need to spend more, not less, on the NHS, but that more of the money should go on front line services and away from administration – he says the fact that recruitment of administrators in recent years has been more than double that of new nursing staff is clearly wrong. 

Under the last Conservative government, he acknowledges that we under-invested in the NHS;  Labour has gone some way to putting that right, but their management has been abysmal and now after ‘famine’ and ‘feast’ we are back to famine... Andrew would like to see the NHS of the future on a ‘healthy diet’.

Andrea Leadsom: Are we getting value for money from the NHS?

The question was asked of Andrew Lansley, Shadow Minister for Health, Anna Walker Chief Exec of the Healthcare Commission and Beverley Malone, Gen Sec of the Royal College of Nursing.

It was interesting that the three panellists all welcome the enormous increases in spending on the NHS, and feel there is more to be done.  Andrew Lansley pointed out we are still behind France and Germany in spending on health.

Beverley Malone made a plea for more involvement from nurses in the strategic planning for the NHS to ensure better value for money and less waste.  She gave an example of a new PFI hospital that was built without consultation with nurses.  Once the corridors were put in, it was apparent they were too narrow to turn around a trolley bed……

Anna Walker made a strong case for good value being achieved. Waiting lists are shorter, treatment in some areas like heart disease, cancer and strokes have improved dramatically, the focus on ‘health’ rather than ‘healthcare’ is starting to pay dividends in the focus on obesity and smoking.

Anna also talked, however, about where the HC has concerns – the ‘Cinderella services’ such as mental health, learning disabilities, older people and children.  In all of these, there is much more to be done.  Also, she is concerned that patient safety needs to be more at the heart of NHS culture. 

Andrew Lansley praised the improvements made in waiting times, but pointed out that these are in England – in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland waiting times remain unacceptable.  The Office of National Statistics has confirmed a fall in productivity growth – in other words, the doubling of cash for the NHS has  not resulted in commensurate productivity.

Andrew is optimistic about the future for the NHS however.  He thinks the culture has permanently changed for the better as a result of the introduction of performance measures.  He talked about a Matron at Kettering hospital who was able to articulate the restructuring of A&E to meet the 4 hour target.  This was a real ‘patient-centred’ initiative.

The panellists agreed that putting patients at the heart of the NHS is critical. Listening to what patients want, not just in terms of treatment, but also in terms of the structure of their NHS, is important.  The question of ‘specialisation’ versus ‘access to services’ is a big one and deserves much broader public consultation.

The answer to the question, ‘Is the NHS delivering value for money?’ ended up, I would say, as ‘on balance, not yet’.

Andrea Leadsom: Andrew Lansley walks the walk

Andrew Lansley gave a passionate speech today about the family and the need to support and promote them as the best qualified people to raiise the next generation!

He talked about Labour's attempts to nationalise childhood, and how abysmal a parent the state has proved to be. Taking children away from their parents should always be a last resort.

It was particularly good to see our Shadow Secretary of State for Health looking so trim... his thoughts on the issue of childhod obesity were all the more interesting coming from a man who has obviously fought the flab and won!

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Last night was the launch of a fantastic new website to promote broader discussion on healthcare in the 21st century.

The website is the brainchild of Julia Manning, a Conservative priority lister, whose 'real job' is to provide home-based optometry services specialising in clients with special needs such as diabetes.

She won the support of Andrew Lansley, Shadow Health, and Stephen O'Brien MP for her idea because they believe there is a need for wider discussion about the future priorities of the NHS.

The website, www.2020health.org is open to all, from neurosurgeons to nurses, from GPs to the general public.  It will provide a talking space, a chance to learn more about treatments, but most importantly, a forum to gather ideas about what the priorities should be of a modern, efficient National Health Service.