NHS: Doctors divided on Blair reforms

Labour has lost the support of leading doctors, according to a new survey.

Research published by the Times newspaper on Wednesday found that more than two thirds of the signatories to a 1997 statement backing Tony Blair's policies on health would not do so again.

The paper contacted 52 of the 59 clinicians who signed the letter of support eight years ago, of which only 17 said they would make the same decision now.

Their responses revealed disillusionment with the government's NHS reforms since the party came to power.

In 1997 they argued Labour would protect the NHS from Conservative policies of a competitive market system of "snowballing bureaucracy where accounting comes before care".

But a majority now have concerns over reforms such as foundation hospitals, the increased use of the private sector, and performance targets.

Concerns

Professor Vincent Marks of the University of Surrey said the prime minister's policies were "against the most fundamental principles of the NHS".

"Most of us feel that we have been badly let down," he said. "The dismantling of the NHS has continued apace.

"The important thing about a National Health Service is that there isn't competition between institutions. We are meant to co-operate. You compete only when attempts at collaboration have failed."

Consultant cardiologist Duncan Dymond added that although the government was "not all bad", doctors have been sidelined.

"When [former health secretary] Alan Milburn spoke of patients, patients, patients, he was really saying votes, votes, votes," he said.

"The government has missed a huge opportunity with the health service. It has not made any substantial, longstanding changes. There has been a marginalisation of the clinician and manipulation of patients to satisfy the bureaucrats."

Delivery

Labour said it was delivering along the lines of its 1997 promises.

"We are four years into a 10-year plan," the party said. "We have turned around some things and we have made progress, but progress is not perfection.

"We have stayed absolutely true to the founding principles of the NHS and we have invested significantly in staff, buildings and equipment.
 
"We have already seen early benefits, and what we now need to do is build on the early successes and ensure that the whole of the NHS is delivering a world-class service."