Health2

TRANSCRIPTOFTHEPRIMEMINISTER'SBROADCAST-31STMARCH-HEALTHThebudgetcommittedustothebiggestsustainedincreaseinhealthfundingthattheHealthservicehasseen.ButlikeyouIwanttomakesurethatthismoneyisspentwisely-deliveringabetterdealforpatients.Andwe'veembarkedonaprocessthatwillculminateinJulywithussettingoutafouryearplanforthemodernisationoftheHealthService.Tohelpusdrawupthatplan,weinvitedsomeofthemostinnovativedoctors,nurseandmanagersto10DowningStreetthisweek.EachoneofthemhasplayedapartintransformingtheNHSintheirowncommunities.Proof,notjustthattheNHScanbemoremodernisedbutthatitisbeingmodernisedTakeBasildonHospital.Ithasslashedthenumberofpatientsfailingtoturnupforappointmentstovirtuallynilbyintroducingatelephonebookingsystemthatallowspatientstobookaclinicalslotwhenitsuitsthem,notwhenitsuitsthehospital.Asaresultmoreslotsarefreedup,morepatientscanbetreated.Andthat'sexactlythetypeofsimplebutnewsystemIwantthroughouttheNHS.Orforexample,ateamofconsultantsandnursesattheNorthTynesideHospitalledbytheChiefExecutiveSuePage.They'vecutwaitingtimesforminortreatmentsincasualtytoanaverageof30minutesandachieved90%satisfactionratingsfrompatients.Doneinpartbygivingnursesagreaterroleandtheuseoftechnology.AndIwanttoseenursesgivenmorepowerthroughouttheNHS.JohnOldham,anotheroneofthepeoplethatcametoseeme,isadoctorleadingateamresponsibleforraisingstandardsprimarycare.HesaysoneGPintheSouthWesthasbeentrainedtousetheequipmenttoinvestigateminorheartconditionsthatwouldnormallybedoneinahospital.Theresultisthat,ofthe166patientsthatwould'vehadtohavegoneforahospitalappointmentwithallthedifficultiesandhasslethatcauses,hewasabletotreatallbut16ofthem.Soanewsystem.Itwasgood,itworkedandnowlet'sseeothersdoingit.ThesearethemodernisersoftheNHS.Andtheysaytome:It'snotrocketscience.Ifwecandoit,everyonecandoit.Sothisisourtask:toensurethatexcellenceinonepartoftheNHScanbecomeexcellenceinallpartsoftheNHS.Itissimplyunacceptablethatthetreatmentpatientsreceivedependsonwheretheylive.Someelderlypeopleforexample,aretreatedsuperblyinsomehospitalsbutintoomanyandtoooften,theyarenotshowntherespectorgiventhecomforttheydeserve.Disabledpeoplegettheservicetheyneedinsomepartsofthecountry,butinothers,astheAuditCommissionreportshowedthisweek,theirtreatmentisunacceptable.Mypointissimplythis:therearerealbeaconsofexcellenceintheNHSbuttherearen'tenoughofthemandtherearereasonswhythereareotherpartsoftheHealthServicenotperformingwellenoughandwe'vegottogettogripswhythesevariationsofperformanceareoccurringandputthemright.That'swhyweareconsideringtyingsomeofthenewmoneyforhospitalstopatientsatisfaction.Wecollecttheinformationnow.WeshoulduseittomaketheNHSrespondbettertotheworriesandneedsofthepatients.Itisoftencontroversialtotalkofconsumerswhenspeakingofhealth.Whenweareillwedonotseeourselvesasconsumersconsuminghealthcare,wesimplywantadoctortomakeusfeelbetter.Butthereisasenseofwhichwe'reconsumers.People'sexpectationsoftheservicetheygetisconditionedbytheworldaroundthem.AndtheNHScanoftenfailtoliveuptoit.IseenothingwrongintheNHSthinkingabitmoreaboutthepatientasaconsumerandstarttailoringservicestotheneedsofpatients.That'stheattitudeforexample,ofthepersonwhoisleadingourteamtoimprovepatientcare.WhyshouldtheNHSdecideshesays,whenit'sconvenienttotreatsomeoneandnotletthepatientdecidewhenitfitsinwiththeirworkorfamilyresponsibility.Andshe'sright.OverthenextfewyearsIwanttomovefromasituationwhereNHSappointmentsarehandedouttopatientswithoutdiscussion,oftenataninconvenienttimetoasystemwherethereisarealchoiceforthepatient.Appointmentsbasedontheirconvinience.ThatalonewouldbearevolutioninthewaywetreathealthcareinBritain.Itwouldliterallyendthelotteryofin-patients,outpatientswaitinglistthatoftengoonformonthsandIamdeterminedtomakeithappen.NextweekwewillcontinuetohavemeetingswiththoseatthesharpendoftheNHS.OnFridayIamgoingtochairthefirstmeetingoftheJointMinisterialCommitteeonhealth.ThatmeetingwilltakeplaceinCardiff.ItwillinvolvetheHealthSecretary,theFirstMinistersofScotlandandWalesandtheNorthernIrelandSecretary.AndtheaimisthatwestarttofleshoutthisjointcommitmenttoaNHSofexcellencethroughouttheUK.TheNHSisagreatunifyingforce.Weneedtolearnfromeachotherabouthowweraisestandards.Westartedonajourney.AjourneytorenewtheHeathService.Toputinextrainvestment,buttochallengetheHeathServicetomodernise.ThemostexcitingthingaboutmymeetingearlieronintheweekwiththoseworkingintheHealthServiceatDowningStreetwasthatthey,allofthem,wereunitedintheirbeliefthattheHealthServicecouldbemodernised.ThatthereweresolutionstotheproblemstheHealthServicefacedandthatwhatwasneededwasthecombinedwillandpolicytogetthosesolutionsrightanddriventhroughouttheNHSintheUK.Andastheysaid:Ofcourseit'sastruggle,butit'sastruggleworthhaving.Andthere'llbesetbacks.ThosewhowishtodestroytheNHSwillsay,itcan'tbesavedandit'shopeless.They'llfocusonallthebadthingsandneverhighlightonallthegoodthings.ButIbelievethatacoalitionisbuilding:ofapublicanxiousforchange;adedicatedstaffembracingchange;andIhopetoo,agovernmentwithacommitmenttoseethisthroughtothejourney'send.