17th March 2025

What’s behind the scrapping of NHS England
Starmer announced the abolition of NHSE ….why? Is it really just about ridding it of bureaucracy and “bringing the NHS back under democratic control? Keep Our NHS England thinks there’s more to it, like Streeting taking control and “reform” of the NHS – code for privatisation.

Loud mouth Streeting
First he insults by calling us “Middle class Lefites” (me, middle class?) now he’s taken to task after saying “there is an overdiagnosis of some mental health conditions” without offering any supporting evidence.

ICBs ordered to cut costs
The incoming CEO of NHSE, Sir Jim McKie, has told the Integrated Care Boards to cut running costs by 50%. This will “make it next to impossible for some individual ICBs to operate as a standalone organisations, or to carry out the full range of reponsibilities”. One leader said it would throw management of the NHS “into chaos”.

PAs: lack of evidence on patient safety
BMA: “It is a sad indictment of NHS bodies and the Government that they all collaborated in the headlong rush to expand the roles of physician and anaesthesia associates without first amassing the evidence that their role was safe.” SHA campaign material can be seen here.

Hospital discharge: what’s driving deaths?
According to the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health annual report, the number and rate of deaths after discharge from a ward have been gradually increasing since 2017.