Camden New Journal - Letters: Red tape soaks up NHS cash

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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 31 May 2007

Red tape soaks up NHS cash

• TONY Blair was pictured posing happily with staff during his visit to the Royal Free Hospital (Blair admits failure over NHS computer revolution, May 24).
What Mr Blair forgot to mention was the fact that the Royal Free has lost more than 200 staff in the last year, including about 30 doctors.
Over the last 10 years, spending on the NHS has increased substantially. This is a good thing. We need a properly funded health service. However, the money has been wasted by the government, which has failed to reform the NHS.
There are now more senior managers in Whitehall than there are GPs. These new managers monitor endless targets and Whitehall “initiatives”. The extra money has been soaked up by a vast unreformed bureaucracy, while the Royal Free loses doctors and nurses.
Hospitals should run their own affairs to meet local needs, not Whitehall targets. The extra money would then not disappear in a puff of smoke, as it has for the last 10 years.
CLLR CHRIS PHILP
Con, Gospel Oak

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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