Monday, January 07, 2008

Meaningless Policy Brown

According to the BBC, Gordon Brown, the man who has rejected spin, will give a speech today and remarkably it's been trailed with quotes already. The speech will announce a "new screening programme in England for early signs of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes".

Errr....reality check. There's already a screening service, it's called getting off your arse and going to the doctors and saying "it hurts when I pee", "I get tightness in my chest" or "I feel dizzy sometimes when I stand up".

What is actually being offered here really is a letter writing service. The NHS will send everyone letters saying "you're due a screening to make sure you're not dying, make an appointment", at which point most average people will either say "I feel fine" or "Can they do Saturday mornings? No? Oh well, in the bin it goes".

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well said. I watched Brown on Marr on Sunday, and had to pinch myself and say was this really live, or had there been a technical fault at the BBC and they had transmitted by error an old interview of when he was Chancellor!

Anonymous said...

I wonder why the government didn't consult the doctors about this before announcing it? The BMA were already annoyed with Brown - and now they are fuming.

Doctors say they already do this screening and that there was NO consultation at all before Gordon Brown made this announcement. They could have recommended the priorities... But, no, Gordon knows best.

dreamingspire said...

My local doctors' practice used to send out letters as soon as people on their list turned 50 - they asked you to come in for a health check. Older friends got them, but after I turned 50 I didn't get one. Some years later I went to the doctor, and happened to ask him about not having a letter. He said that they stopped doing it because people complained about the letters...

kinglear said...

This tripe underlines Broon's complete misunderstanding of the present position. It's a bit like Hilary et al in the States. The two " change" " young" candidates have the big Mo,the rest are yesterday. I do like the strangling hands pictures of Broon on the front of the papers today.

Old BE said...

Radio 4 this morning were billing it as an amazing and ground-breaking thing. Of course nobody asked where the money was coming from. Was is being cut in order to provide it or which taxes are going to rise?

anthonynorth said...

And if you're foolish enough to do as the letter says, you'll then get a lecture on why do you smoke, drink and eat too much.
If you're foolish enough to listen, you'll worry like hell, and bring on a heart attack.

Anonymous said...

Like the thinking on bash the sick folk bit from your lot this week. This could be the policy that'll win you your place in the sun. Maggie had her miners, and now Cameron can kick the shit out of the sick. I'll stick with Gordon whatever his policies, at least those least able to defend themselves are left alone.

Anonymous said...

You can't help but smile at the fact that yet again such an announcement has come from Brown and not from the health Minister. I actually had to go and look up who that was because I don't think I've heard Alan Johnson make such an annoucement since he assumed the position back in June.

Dizzy - bang on as usual. It's a gimmick at best.

Anonymous said...

But the shites continue to deny middle aged men screening for prostate cancer, which kills thousands every year.

James Higham said...

As someone else mentioned - why does he drag his wife around everywhere with him?

Mulligan said...

Why is brown announicing this anyway? Don't we have a health minister any more?

Newmania said...

I feel dizzy sometimes when I stand up....

Tee ( immature )hee