Does Johnson and his Government really care about the NHS?

[bindeweede]

Stephen Colegrave suggests the facts speak for themselves.

Beyond the rhetoric, Stephen Colegrave produces nine examples of the UK Prime Minister’s lack of care for the NHS in its time of greatest need.

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/08/04/acti ... t-the-nhs/

[Tony.Williams]

To answer the question in the title - this government cares about staying in power, just like all the others. They will say and do whatever they think will achieve this.

I think that this particular government doesn't much care about the NHS, or state schools. All of the people who really matter to them are privately educated and have private health care insurance, anyway. If it weren't for the irritating necessity to win enough votes to stay in power next time around, I suspect they really wouldn't care about the public services at all.

[Ketchup]

How come SERCO seem to be able to get their noses in so many public troughs?
... even though they have been (at best) useless and (at worst) dangerously incompetent?
And how have they been able to get away with scarfing so much tax-payers' money?

Serco Receives Track and Trace Contract Despite Fine
SERCO - A company that has ties to the Conservative party but has been fined on a number of occasions was awarded a contract to provide a track and trace system to deal with the pandemic. The Chief executive is the brother of an ex-minister, and a sitting MP is also a lobbyist for the company. Boris Johnson also attended the same Burlington club as the company boss.

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[Tony.Williams]

The Tories have a religious belief in the superiority of the market as a means to deliver just about anything, despite repeated examples of incompetence costing vast sums. And of course, they prefer to deal with "people like us", who they meet on the socio-political circuit. And especially people who make large donations to the Tory Party. It's all very cosy.

I seem to be sounding like a left-winger these days. Far from it - I see myself as in the middle of the political road, and thought Corbyn would have made an appalling PM. It just shows how polarised politics has become here. Oh well, nothing compared with the USA...

[polomint38]

its similar to Carillion, they will take government contracts, and fund them with money from other contracts, make large money for share holders, then probably collapse, leaving the fat cats to leave the mess for the government,who will start the dance again, with whatever bunch of con-men start the next company.
Carillion a Ponzi Scheme

[Ketchup]

its similar to Carillion, they will take government contracts, and fund them with money from other contracts, make large money for share holders, then probably collapse, leaving the fat cats to leave the mess for the government,who will start the dance again, with whatever bunch of con-men start the next company.
Carillion a Ponzi Scheme

Precisely that! Serco have taken over from Carillion in a number of areas. Serco - NHS for Sale

In February 2018, as a result of the collapse of Carillion, another facilities management company, Serco took over several of Carillion's contracts with NHS hospital trusts.

An article from seven years ago - published in The Guardian (John Harris), on 29 July, 2013: https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... r-heard-of
'Serco: the company that is running Britain'

From prisons to rail franchises and even London's Boris bikes, Serco is a giant global corporation that has hoovered up outsourced government contracts. Now the NHS is firmly in its sights. But it stands accused of mismanagement, lying and even charging for non-existent work

[Tony.Williams]

An interesting take on the present situation by Isabel Hilton on this weekend's BBC News channel's Dateline London programme.

Briefly, she pointed out that countries led by women had vastly superior Covid-19 outcomes to date, compared with male leaders. Also, the countries with the three worst outcomes to date - the USA, Brazil and UK - are all led by iconoclastic leaders who portray themselves as trying to dismantle the conventional way of doing things, ignoring "experts" and anyone else with relevant experience. She also observed that such leaders have another characteristic - they value loyalty above all in their subordinates, and certainly above competence. You can make a mess of your job (even visiting tourist spots for an eye-test during lockdown) and you'll be safe as long as you offer total loyalty.