CNJ COMMENT - Camidoc’s demise is a cautionary tale for the NHS

Published: 2 September, 2010

THE financial problems besetting the out-of-hours doctors cooperative Camidoc should sound alarm bells over the coalition government’s NHS reform proposals.

Conservative Health Secretary Andrew Lansley wants to devolve funding power from primary care trusts to consortia of local GPs.

It is argued they know the health service best, not management-type bureaucrats.

But is the demise of Camidoc  a warning of what may follow?

Stuck between a rock and a hard place with a huge rise in demand and lessening funding, it found itself on the brink of collapse.

Months of staff and doctors’ pension contributions hung in the balance.

Payment for night and weekend work was owed.

Camidoc’s bosses admit their financial scrutiny was “not as rigorous as it ought to be”.

Can doctors – without proper scrutiny – be relied on to run big budgets?

Waiting in the wings, of course, is huge profit-making private company Harmoni – ready to snap up the contract while the idealistic cooperative falls.

Here in Camden we have a mini- parable of what Lansley may bring about on a national scale

The survival of the richest and the destruction of the founding principles of the NHS. Dissenting Lib Democrat MPs may hold the key to upending the legislation. In Camden, Lib Dem John Bryant appears ready to stick his neck out and oppose his own party.

But when the big vote comes, will his colleagues in the Commons stand up and be counted?

Cut from the top

ALL large institutions seem to behave the same.

As soon as econ­omies have to be made, the axe falls on what are considered to be fringe services.

Hardly ever does an institution cull the highly  paid echelons that run it. 

But now that the coalition government is forcing cuts on the NHS, where does Camden NHS wield the axe (page 10)? On the trained counsellors who help bereaved families.

Camden NHS is clearly taking a backward step by axing this service.

Their spokesman says they are simply looking for efficiencies.

This is a mantra all fund-cutters come out with.

If Camden NHS feel they have no alternative than to accept government strictures and cut their services, they should first examine the size and the cost benefit of their own top tiers.