The Cellar - Seriously, is there anything this shower can't fuck up? ...apparently not

The current plans to shake up the NHS have caused massive unease amongst the public and also amongst healthcare professionals at every level. Every level from the ward porter to the health trust executive and everything in between.

Despite massive unease, and several reports suggesting that the degree of change is too much too quickly and a serious risk to service delivery, the government is pushing ahead. the Lords tried to stall it, but the House of Commons brought it back and got it through by a margin.

All such legislation has to be subject to risk assessment. This bill has been subjected to risk assessment. The opposition want the risk assessment findings to be made public. Having had their initial request refused, they referred it to the Information Tribunal:

Quote:

In March, the Information Tribunal ordered publication of the risk register - a written document drawn up by officials which lists the threat to the delivery of services from any changes.

A leaked 2010 draft of the register warned that the cost of GP care could rise, responses to health emergencies could worsen and there was a high chance that managers might lose financial control of the NHS.

The tribunal ruled that the public interest in publishing the final document was "very high, if not exceptional".

But. Apparently we are not to be given access to this information. Our government ministers, who have devised and are overseeing an unprecedented shake-up of our National Health Service, have decided in their wisdom that this would be detrimental to democratic government. They need, so they say, a 'safe space' in which to develop policy.

I kind of agre that a safe space is needed to develop policy, but if in that safe space ministers take the opportunity to force through legislation which is fundamentally unsound, and disallow scrutiny of why it is unsound, then that is a problem.

Quote:

Health secretary Andrew Lansley has told MPs why ministers decided to veto an Information Tribunal order to publish the NHS risk register.

Mr Lansley said the decision was "not taken lightly" but that it was a matter of wider principle that governments need a "safe space" to develop policy.

The cabinet decided on Tuesday to block publication of the assessment of risks with the recently-passed NHS shake-up.

Recently passed... Voted on by the House of Commons with no sight of that risk report.

Quote:

Defending the use of the publication veto - which has only been used by ministers three times before - Mr Lansley said the decision was about "long term principles and good government".

Disgusting.