by Andy Cowper

Some concluding thoughts from Confed

1. Every big conference has an atmosphere: a reflection of the mood across the service. This year the atmosphere has been elusive. Conference chair David Walker, editor of Guardian Public characterised it as “calm”. Calm was a symptom, but the cause was waiting. We are all waiting for Darzi.

Tom Smith on today’s health policy debate.
During David Nicholson’s speech to the NHS Confederation, he talked about a recent visit to his GP surgery where he was asked to sign the BMA petition, ‘save our surgery’. He declined but asked the receptionist how she was kept informed about what was happening to the NHS. “Oh, Dr Soandso tells us about it, and he never lies”. The continuing row over the future of general practice is increasingly becoming a question of trust.

Is David Nicholson still gunning for Monitor?

No matter how bad your day is, Joe Simpson has had a worse one. The climber and inadvertent bestselling author gave a thoroughly moving and harrowing speech today to Confed. His recounting of the physical ordeal was harrowing just to hear. Simpson niftily avoided the potential pitfalls of emotionalism, drawing instead a deeply touching and personal message that feeling totally alone and beyond contact or human touch is the worst kind of pain.

Tom Smith on today’s health policy debate.
Following on from an interview with the Guardian newspaper today, Alan Johnson gave the keynote speech on the first day of the NHS Confederation conference – the biggest they have ever held in terms of numbers registered. The Secretary of State said he could not reveal the contents of Darzi’s Next Steps review, but could show “a bit of leg”. He talked about the importance of “compassion” and said efforts would be made to measure it, as nurses had encouraged him to. Like most days, his speech may get the evening headlines, but the morning papers were concerned with new figures on cancer mortality, suggesting wide health inequalities – a subject Johnson touched upon. The papers also contained reaction to Alan Johnson’s statement yesterday that the ban on co-payments will be reviewed. But before getting to those things, this review starts with the front page of the Times, which was very concerned about the implications for rising inflation on the costs ofthe NHS.

Andy Cowper
The Day Today: Wednesday 18 June 2008 - Day One NHS Confederation conference
And so to Manchester for the NHS Confederation conference, via Heathrow Terminal Five - not so much an airport, more a shopping opportunity. Blimey, what a decade you’ve just had if you love shopping. Now credit is crunchy and there’s a real risk of 70s-style stagflation, things look different.

Tom Smith on today’s health policy debate.

Health policy is so widely debated that today saw two themes arise. In the morning, discussion was about the capacity of maternity services to cope as well as questions about why given much higher funding in recent years. The announcement late this afternoon, however, that the government will look again at co-payments in cancer care is likely to capture the evening headlines.

by Andy Cowper

Welcome to Health Policy Insight, a new online health policy information and analysis service.

New on the site today is Nick Timmins’ first HPI column, which considers the impact of ‘top-ups’ to NHS care. The Government is due to announce today or tomorrow that it will change policy. The level of detail to be announced, however, is uncertain.

The abstract principle of payment for healthcare was breached with prescription charges in the NHS’s earliest days. In the English NHS today, dentistry and audiology show us a residualist NHS service for much of the country, while access to physiotherapy and various mental health services in psychotherapy can be deeply patchy. And then there’s car parking charges …

Top-ups: the earth moves as the 60th anniversary approaches

Now topping-up is to be permitted, does the NHS need a consumer framework? And should there be any cut-off point at all?

First Thoughts … Last Thoughts
by Nicholas Timmins , public policy editor, Financial Times

Fresh perspective: Liberal Democrats outline new health policies

by Andy Cowper, editor, Health Policy Insight
It’s been difficult to write about Lib Dem health policies in recent years for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there haven’t been many worth the name. Secondly, since Evan Harris, they have had a series of spokespeople on health who have not exactly impressed.

Tom Smith on today’s health policy debate.
The big story of the day is the Healthcare Commission’s warning that NHS trusts have 10 months to get on track with the management of hospital acquired infections or face the consequences of being labelled a failing trust. The weekend’s papers continued to debate polyclinics, making the grounds for disagreement between the government and doctors more clear. Both the FT and the Sunday Times reported that the Government is set to rewrite its rules on allowing co-payments in the NHS.