Caviar of NHS: Creativity & Health Care

When all the hype is there about the John Lewis of Health Care when John Lewis might want to launch a serious complaint as Circle is 50.1% Hedge Fund owned: the creative funds that many believed conspired with the bright young things of the major banks that eventually led to the collapse of world finances.

Still, all the hope is for Circle to be really like John Lewis and not like Southern Cross, or worse: Greece (another Goldman creative endeavour )

Not far from us, a sturgeon is producing the caviar of NHS in Scotland:

Nicola Sturgeon Web Site

Nicola Sturgeon ‘a safe pair of hands’ in The Guardian:

Indeed, such is Sturgeon's record as health secretary, even her political opponents are privately full of qualified praise. "Safe pair of hands", says one, "a politicians' politician" another. Sturgeon's stature has also risen after four years at the helm of the Scottish health service, no mean feat given the tricky nature of her brief.

Not creative:

She is not creative which may not be a bad thing where Health Care is concerned.

Lets remind ourselves where creativity has led us:

Northern Rock, HBOS, RBS, 

Or creative Organic Eggs? Or creative big pharmas: GlaxoSmithKlein?

PFIs? Southern Cross?

Sturgeon's hostility to private involvement in the NHS is well known, and she has no ideological hang ups in admitting as much. Critics say it proves she's not a creative thinker, with no desire for radical reform. Instead Sturgeon prefers more cautious change, pursuing efficiencysavings and consolidation of existing services.

Stracathro hospital returns to NHS:

Nicola Sturgeon:

"This government is committed to ensuring Scotland has a health service which is truly publicly funded and delivered. This is another step towards achieving this goal.

"Currently the private sector provides the service at Stracathro but the NHS pays for it - which means, of course, that the NHS pays not just for the service provided but for the profit margin as well.

"This is the only private contract of its kind in Scotland and it comes to an end on January 3 next year. I will receive NHS Tayside's final business case for the future of the service next month.”

Is Hinchingbrooke the Stracathro of England? Only time will tell.

Sturgeon to end privatisation of GP practices

HEALTH Minister Nicola Sturgeon is planning to close a legal loophole that allows private companies to run GP practices.

The Glasgow MSP is looking for an early legislative opportunity to ensure that only traditional providers can run local health services.

She is also unlikely to provide more public funding next year for an independent treatment centre in Strathcaro, Tayside, a further sign of the minister's hostility to private sector involvement in the NHS.

………"Our approach will be to build NHS capacity. I do not see the stimulation of private-sector competition as being in the interests of the health service."

A spokesman for the Scottish government said: "We have made clear our commitment to an NHS rooted firmly in the public sector. Our strategy for health, Better Health Better Care, sets out to pursue an investment strategy that builds public sector services supported by the use of the voluntary sector and the social economy."

A spokesman for trade union Unison said: "We would welcome any plan to stop private firms cashing in on GP surgeries, something Unison argued against when the legislation was first introduced. "We urge the cabinet secretary to plug this gap as soon as possible."

Hospital Infections:

Circle has made claims that it could do much about Hospital Infections. But Scotland has already achieved much:

"I think it would be a very complacent politician who says yes, I've achieved everything I wanted to," she told Guardian Healthcare. "I'll always look back and think there's more I could have done. But there has been a reduction in waiting times for cancer patients, and a massive reduction of 70% in hospital infections."

On England’s NHS Reform:

“The public, patients and practitioners can be very clear that these reforms will not apply in Scotland.  Scotland’s National Health Service is independent and, as long as there is an SNP Government, it will be run in the interests of patients not profit.

“Privatisation may be the Tory way but it is not our way. I know how highly Scots value our NHS and under the SNP it will be protected.”

"It's interesting that they're majoring on GP commissioning, and although I wouldn't favour that model, that's not actually the most objectionable part of what they're trying to do. Rather it's the 'any willing provider' (AQP) part – that will open up the health service to private companies cherry-picking the most profitable bits, while the NHS is left with the less profitable stuff."

NHS Scotland: Patient Care! No Market ...

NHS Reform: Space, Snorkel & Scotland

NHS2011: What about Wales, Scotland ...

Doctors & Hearts: Sunday reading for ...

Scotland abolishes prescription charge.

English prescription charge to go up to £7.40. (Already free in Wales and Northern Ireland.)

Scotland: Serco NOT allowed to run GP practice

England: Circle to run NHS Hospital