Report to the People
17th December 2007
To Your Future Health
When
she announced the government’s health strategy in the Scottish Parliament last
week, I told the Health Secretary that it certainly contains some laudable
aspirations.
I
am interested, for example, in the idea of a Patients' Rights Bill. Indeed, in this column back
in May 2004, I recounted my, sadly unsuccessful, bid to amend the National
Health Service Reform Bill and give patients the right
to NHS treatment within set time-limits.
I
also sought to give Community Health Partnerships a duty to make those they
serve aware of these rights. So,
provided it’s affordable, I back moves to send everyone a yearly report,
setting out our rights and responsibilities.
Like
all grand visions of the future, however, the real meat will be in the details.
And these are fairly thin on the ground.
Take
tackling health inequalities. The gap between the health and life expectancy of the richest
and poorest in communities like ours is too wide - and widening.
But, if closing this health gap really is the top priority, why
will we have to wait until May 2008 to hear what will be done?
This
delay does seem unnecessary when, as I reminded the Health Secretary, we already
know the solution. As no less than
the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland says, health inequalities can be cut by
ensuring access to health services.
Governments
love consulting, but they have to be careful they don’t confuse consultation
with action - especially when the answer is already there.
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