Plans to give extra health funding to the poorest in society sound more old Labour than new Conservative, but the party’s draft health manifesto contains familiar messages.
At its heart is decentralisation, and the dismantling of the ‘big government approach’ of the Labour government.
In practice, we are told, this would mean ‘democratic accountability’ instead of ‘bureaucratic accountability’, and giving patients ‘real choice’.
Providers will be given more freedom, and be expected to publish results. Patients will be free to choose, ‘encouraging hospitals to compete for patients’.
There is detail too. The NHS will be opened up to voluntary and independent providers. GPs’ pay will be linked to the quality of the service they deliver. Welfare-to-work agencies will get better access to mental health services.
The blue core at the heart of the plans is the idea of linking pay to results. Where Labour has tried to incentivise with performance targets, the Tories will incentivise with cash.
Whether this approach would be any more successful remains to be seen. Incentivising bankers with large bonuses helped to create a culture in which the reckless pursuit of short-term gain jeopardised the economy, but such an extreme example might not be so relevant to the public sector.
It is reassuring to see a commitment to helping the poorest in society, and it sits in stark contrast to some of the 30-year-old, previously confidential documents published last week from the early days of the Thatcher government.
Whatever might be going on behind closed doors these days, it seems unlikely that David Cameron is warning of street riots if immigrants are placed in social housing.
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Readers' comments (1)
Joe Halewood | 05/01/2010 12:56 pm
Im struck with the notion that giving GPs more cash is an incentive to help the poorest in society!!
Less of a stark contrast with traditional Tory values than it first seems. How aqbout incentivising with cash all other parts of the public sector?
Cash bonuses for more ASBOs perhaps, more evictions? Surely both increase the general health of the public dont they?
How about £1000 to shop a sub-letter rather than £500 - public spirited after all and would reduce the blood pressure of many commentators on this site?
Or even a cash incentive for (cash-strapped) chief execs dependent on the number of emails / letters they respond to from tenants? Again an incentive for tenants to become more involved??
The NHS opened up to voluntary and 'independent' providers? Independent? New providers sought with cash bonuses on offer - health care by bankers for the poor anyone?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment