- Nicholas Watt,
- guardian.co.uk,
- Thursday July 3 2008
In Politics Weekly this week, Nick Watt asks whether Lord Darzi's review into the NHS will make a difference – and why it took the government 11 years to act.
Simon Hoggart, the Guardian's parliamentary sketchwriter, describes the scenes in the House of Commons when Alan Johnson unveiled the Darzi review. Simon says the "poor old NHS" only got "yet another wretched review" for its birthday.
Joining Nick round the table is Ivan Lewis, the junior health minister. He defends the government's decision to wait 11 years before unveiling a review calling for a focus on the quality of care because Labour first had to fix a "basket case" NHS.
Polly Toynbee, the Guardian columnist, says the Darzi review marks the end of the "heavy lifting" phase of NHS reform. Polly says the government has finally recognized what matters is how people feel about the quality of care.
John Carvel, the Guardian's social affairs editor, says he is surprised the government has waited eight years since its NHS Plan to announce this review. John says more money has been pumped into the NHS – but productivity has not increased at the same rate.
We also discuss a leaked letter in which the chief whip Geoff Hoon said the Labour MP Keith Vaz would be "appropriately rewarded" for voting with the government in the 42-day detention vote. Ivan Lewis says it was a joke by Hoon, who should be treated nicely because of Labour's poor standing in the polls.
