The debate must move on to how private sector funding can support public sector healthcare provision, writes Tim Baker
There was a distinct lack of debate about the future of healthcare in the lead up to the General Election, which was a missed opportunity.
It was unfortunate the Tories did not focus on this during the campaign, because there was no real challenge to Labour's track record on the NHS ' and there is no doubt that Labour were chastened by the clear message they got from the electorate that they 'must try harder' on health.
One of the most interesting results was in Wyre Forest, where Dr Richard Taylor won the seat after standing as an independent to save his local hospital. Dr Taylor won it from Labour with 28,500 votes, leaving them with less than 11,000. This shows how much people care about health services and that politicians ignore this at their peril.
We believe the private sector and the Government have a role to play in the provision of health services. The Government has signalled its intention to make greater use of private hospitals when the NHS cannot cope with the numbers of patients. And they have not encountered much public hostility to this principal, which indicates that people do not have a problem about who is providing NHS healthcare services as long as they receive fast access to high quality care. It will be interesting to see how the Government moves forward with the next stages of implementing the NHS plan.
We should welcome this because it demonstrates that people recognise the role the private sector has to play. However, the real problem is the lack of doctors and nurses, and using private sector services funded by the NHS to bolster NHS provision will not be an instant fix for that.
The fundamental issue is one of funding, and the debate needs to move on from how private sector services can help the NHS to how private sector funding can support public sector healthcare provision. Unfortunately, the sense remains that the funding issue is not on the political agenda.
Compared with other European countries we are still under-funding healthcare. There is a gap in expectation between what consumers want and what the NHS can provide. And with the continuing rise in medical inflation and demand, it is never going to be possible for the State to fund a health service that fully meets the nation's requirements.
For example, it might be an own goal if new consultants are forced to work only for the NHS and do no private work for a period of time. Most consultants are loyal to the NHS and their private work does not affect their NHS work, but if they feel they are no longer being treated as professionals it may affect their goodwill.
It is important that the private medical insurance industry seek to continue and develop dialogue with politicians and contribute to a productive debate on future models of healthcare in the UK.
