Long-time readers of these chunterings will know that I have consistently maintained that Labour under Blair and Brown missed a once-in-a-generation opportunity in 1997. Their landslide victory ensured them of at least two parliaments in government, long enough to establish the sort of NHS training strategy that the government has just announced. So many of the difficulties of managing waiting lists this century could have been avoided - and since health in Wales had not been devolved at that stage, the template could have been set for Wales, too.
It goes without saying that the Conservatives' initiative should have come earlier. Ideally, it should have been in the 2010 coalition agreement. The only clause in this relating to health promised no further major shake-ups in the NHS (a pledge which the Tory health minister Andrew Lansley promptly broke). Coming so late in the Sunak administration, which is highly unlikely to survive beyond 2024, the training plan is subject to revision by the next government.
The major failing, though, is that the health services in both England and Wales are losing staff faster than they can be replaced. The hard line taken by health ministers in London over pay and conditions has created a hostile environment for experienced doctors, nurses and ancillary staff. Wales minister Eluned Morgan has gone rather further to settle disputes, but those settlements which have been reached are not completely satisfactory and are unlikely staunch the outflow of senior staff, the people who are not only needed to keep GIG/NHS going until the new trainees come on board but also to mentor them on the job.
So what has been set up is a training scheme to provide doctors and nurses for Australia and New Zealand.
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