NHS reforms: the biggest cover up since the invasion of Iraq
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NHS reforms: the biggest cover up since the invasion of Iraq
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The British government has vetoed a tribunal's ruling that the NHS risk register (which details the risks of the coalitions health reforms to the health service) should be released under an Freedom of
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Forums » Off duty » News & media » NHS reforms: the biggest cover up since the invasion of Iraq
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NHS reforms: the biggest cover up since the invasion of Iraq
posted at 9/5/2012 9:37 AM BST
on bmj.com
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*Moderator*
Posts: 1444
First: 7/4/2011 Last: 21/5/2013 |
The British government has vetoed a tribunal's ruling that the NHS risk register (which details the risks of the coalitions health reforms to the health service) should be released under an Freedom of Information request. Health secretary Andrew Lansley claimed that he believed in a government that provides 'greater transparency' but is not willing to release the risk register claiming that it is essential to retain 'a safe space where officials are able to give ministers full and frank advice in developing policies.' The last time a government overruled an FOI ruling to release information was when the Labour government refused to release information about the invasion of Iraq - and we all know how that ended! Whatever your thoughts on the NHS reforms, the government's suprression of information about the risks of the drastic changes being made to the health service reveals various things. It strikes me that the most obvious one is that such a risk register will expose the reforms has high-risk, a detriment to patient care and provision of free at the point of care healthcare. Another theory is that there never was a risk register or that Lansley didn't draw up a comprehensive assessment of the risks. Whatsmore, this decision makes the coalition's claims that they are a transparent government seem like hyperbole. Their argument seems to be if you release the risks of implementing a policy, then policies and decisions would never be made. But this episode seems to say that the public should trust ministers to openly share the risks and not go ahead with something which would jeapordise the future of our health service. However, I can't help but think that political ideology obstructs this transparency. |
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Re: NHS reforms: the biggest cover up since the invasion of Iraq
posted at 9/5/2012 9:57 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1266
First: 13/4/2010 Last: 21/5/2013 |
The Government's excuse is just nonsense. How can making civil servant advice public (they are public servants afterall) impede them in making that advice? If the advice is so controversial it could be anonymised (though personally I think that is cowardly speaking as someone who is quite happy to say what they think in a open manner). And, of course, it is just advice - the Government doesn't need to follow it if it has good reason not to. Afterall we are not talking about issues which threaten national security here. Only things that threaten Government embarrassment. In the end of the day Governments only hide things when they have something to hide. I thought 21t century Britain had grown up a bit and moved on from that. Clearly I was wrong. This decision makes a complete mockery of any claims of open Government. Yet another reason for the LibDems to be ashamed of being in this coalition but clearly Nick Clegg has more brass neck than a life-size brass model of a giraffe! |
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