published on how much this half-baked scene cost the NHS, but there is no doubt that it is a sure-fire "lose-lose" hard-pressed hospital chiefs. Not only will the Trusts under the greatest pressure be obliged to find cash from 'Let me through, I'm a their budgets to line the Labour spin dactor' pockets of the private opera"Concordat" tors, but they vital staff lured away from nrivate medical industry: NHS Trusts which front-line jobs in the NHS to run out of beds to treat wait- do the work.
Milburn even boasted that ing list patients will now be expected to fork out the cash "the doctors will to send them for treatment doctors, and by and large the in nearby private hospitals. nurses will be NHS nurses." (Obviously this policy will They certainly predominantly apply to the private sector trains no staff South East, where most pri- at all. but never scruples to poach nursing and medical staff trained by and for the his will certainly NHS. put a smile on the Another aspect "Concordat" is supposed to cheeks of Britain's desper- be increased use of private ately unpopular homes and struggling private sector. patients, to relieve pressure after years of on NHS beds across the winpolicies have ter period. Unfortunately for Milburn the NHS and forced up waiting lists, most this coincides with the first private hospitals have been signs of a substantial runalong barely half down in full, for lack of sufficient rich places, as profit-hungry prostupid patients: prietors shut up shop, arguMilburn's cash injection is ing that they are not being just what they wanted. paid enough by social serNo estimates have been vices and health authorities.
The result is likely to be could more hospital "blocked", and more queues