As the banner shows, I think that Labour are the safest hands for the NHS, but sometimes I do have to criticise.
One of the best things that the Labour government have done is leave things that are better done by experts alone, appoint them, give them parameters and let them handle things. The independence of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee being the most well known, but Labour have also set up the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)
NICE are charged with evaluating treatments and deciding if they are cost-effective. After all, we don't expect politicians to know drugs work and what doesn't.
Trouble is what happens when NICE make a judgement that's not popular? Simple the government bullies them into changing their mind.
From today's Observer
Ministers reprieve Alzheimer's treatment
Controversial plans to withdraw drugs for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia from the NHS are to be blocked by government ministers amid growing political and public anger.
Ministers acknowledged yesterday that there was widespread 'bafflement' at guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) which said the drugs were not cost-effective and should not be freely available to patients on the NHS.
I am particularly struck by the arrogance of this comment.
Revealing that his department will submit a report this week extolling the benefits of the drugs, he [Stephen Ladyman] added: 'It may well be that once they have looked at the extra evidence, they will come to a different decision.'
If the DoH are going to make the decisions now, what's the point in having NICE.
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