John Redwood

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RT HON JOHN REDWOOD MP WOKINGHAM TIMES 7.6.7

Last Tuesday a government bill drew my attention to the number of people who die every year as a result of their brushes with the government. I discovered that in 2005, the last year where we have government figures, 5890 NHS patients died with a hospital acquired  infection  on their death certificate. 174 people died in custody. 33 people died on the railway, where track problems were often to blame controlled by government owned Network Rail.  Since the year 2000 more than 200 people have died on active service with our armed forces. The numbers are far bigger than those who suffer through contact with private sector companies.

       We were discussing Lords amendments to the Corporate Manslaughter Bill. It was another one of those measures where the government invents a new law for the private sector which it thinks need not apply in all cases to itself. I joined my colleagues in pressing to include deaths in custody within the legislation, so if there are cases where gross negligence by the prison service is to blame action can be taken.
The government resisted our amendment, without having a good reason, whilst trying to imply it might come round to our view in due course.

      I am even more concerned about the growing incidence of clostridium difficile and the continuing presence of MRAs  infections in NHS hospitals. The Opposition has urged the government to get the NHS to do more to control this problem. Ministers claim they have done what they can. All the time the NHS is a public monopoly the ultimate responsibility for outbreaks like these will rest with the Secretary of State.

       Consultants are now saying they believe this government has interfered too much and is responsible for the current crisis of morale in the hospitals. They have echoed some of the words of the Opposition in Parliament, when we have attacked  too much centralisation, and too many top down targets interfering with medical and clinical judgements. I do not, however, relish the current fight between Ministers and Consultants over whether the NHS is “on its knees”. The losers from such disputes will be patients, who do not want to walk into hospitals where spirits are  low and minds are partly on the argument with the government.
 
        We presumably have to await a new Secretary of State once Gordon Brown takes over. The incoming Prime Minister would be wise to put in someone other than Patricia Hewitt, and ask him or her to seek an accommodation with the Consultants as soon as possible. There will be no winners from continuing rows. It is time for jaw jaw, not war war in our Health Service.