Category Archives: Health

Why we need lockdown and some reasons to be optimistic

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Charles West

As the world comes to grip with the Covid-19 Pandemic I feel called to offer some personal thoughts and reflections.Like most in the medical profession I have been enormously frustrated by the lacklustre response of the UK government to this … Continue reading →

Posted in Covid-19, Health, NHS | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Enough is enough.

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Charles West

Call me naïve if you like, but I still believe that most politicians go into the business because they want to make the world a better place. They may lose their way, become seduced by the sense of their own … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, Norman Lamb, resignation, Syria | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Lib Dems to be offered radical new Health Policy

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Charles West

I shall go to Glasgow this weekend with a group of others to promote our new policy on the NHS. After a year of deliberations, a policy working group set up by Liberal Democrats failed to reach agreement. Two policy documents … Continue reading →

Posted in Glasgow, Health, Lib Dem Conference, NHS, Nick Clegg, Norman Lamb | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Will Lib Dems take the high road or the low road to Scotland?

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Charles West

Liberal Democrats meet this weekend at Glasgow for the Autumn Conference. It is only a few days since the eyes of the world were looking to Scotland with one big question in their minds. Anyone who cares about politics will … Continue reading →

Posted in Glasgow, Health, Lib Dem Conference, NHS, Public Services, Transport | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The hush hush health policy

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Charles West

So what are these proposals that no-one dare let Liberal Democrats see at Conference? There is an increasing body of reputable opinion and evidence that market competition is an expensive irrelevance in healthcare. It is interesting to note that every … Continue reading →

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Your hospital could be closed or taken over without any consultation.

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Charles West

In the law of the jungle we see nature red in tooth and claw, dog eats dog, might is right, competition is king and the playground bully rules the roost. In a civilised society, however we have different values. We … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, NHS, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Where next for the NHS?

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles West

As we read of another scandal of neglect and cruelty in a privately run nursing home, as we hear that competition law is blocking the co-operation between NHS providers in Torbay and in Bournemouth and Poole, as we hear of … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Lib Dem Conference, NHS, Nick Clegg | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Astonishing leaked NHS document.

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Charles West

A revealing document has come to light that gives insight into the Coalition Government’s plans for the NHS. It would seem to be an early draft of the section in the coalition agreement that was dropped in favour of reassurances … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, NHS, Nick Clegg, PFI | 3 Comments

MPs duped over devious NHS privatisation

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Charles West

New regulations announced last week which are due to come into effect in two weeks make it clear that the NHS will be forced to put nearly all services out to competition. Proposals announced three weeks earlier had been withdrawn … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Lib Dem Conference, NHS | Leave a comment

S75 Regulations rewrite is as bad as ever

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Charles West

Conversations continue about the new version of the Health and Social Care Act regulations. I have yet to see a full legal analysis, but it is quite clear that the promises of ministers have not been delivered. Today – Thursday … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, NHS | Leave a comment