Yes, I am a bit annoyed about what has been said about the NHS. Not just me though. Just in case you have no idea what I am ranting about, it is the allegation that targets are resulting the NHS not caring.
Working the in the NHS, I see lots of people who care and I work with lots of people who care. And let me add, with the hassle I get working in the NHS, if I did not care, I would not work in it. I suspect that the same applies to others as well.
In summary, targets were introduced under Labour and they were there to show that the NHS was improving. One for example was the four hour wait in A&E, a target that many found absurd as in order to meet it, many hospitals did not direct additional staff to see patients to meet it in a clincally responsible manner, but rather made staff meet the target no matter what. While I do not like the target, it was introduced after the Conservatives used the waits some people had in A&E to claim that the NHS was not working. Targets can improve things, but they can be fixed as happened under the watch of Labour. But when the government cuts funding (in real terms) to the NHS and then expects the staff of the NHS to be able to care more, that does not make sense.Hunt, if you want the NHS to provide better care across the board, fund it properly.