Medical profession declares no confidence in health secretary Jeremy Hunt
The medical profession has declared it has no confidence in health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who it says has put the NHS under ‘attack’.
The vote of no confidence, discussed this morning at the BMA Annual Representative Meeting in Edinburgh, was passed by a clear majority. A similar motion was voted down at the LMC conference last month, but the ARM’s decision will now become BMA-wide policy.
It was presented to the meeting by BMA Council member and hospital consultant Dr Jacky Davis, co-founder of the NHS Action Party, who said: ‘Hunt is a disaster for the NHS.’
The motion, which was approved in full, referred to ‘Jeremy Hunt’s attack on the NHS and his comments about mediocrity and coasting’ and declared that the conference ‘has no confidence in the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt’.
BMA chairman Dr Mark Porter advised against supporting the motion but added that since it was ‘a tradition’, delegates could ‘go ahead’ if they wanted to.
Last year the BMA’s annual representative meeting saw a similar no-confidence vote passed regarding then-health secretary Andrew Lansley who they blamed for pushing through the Health and Social Care Act as well as unpopular changes to doctors’ pensions.
Mr Hunt has recently been at the heart of a row with GPs over their role in excessive pressure on A&E department after stating that the 2004 GP contract was to blame because it saw GPs allowed to opt out of out-of-hours care provision.
Commenting on the vote, a DH spokesperson said: ‘It is completely right that the Health Secretary demands the best possible care for patients. Following the findings of the Francis Inquiry and other recent reports, it is clear that the culture of the NHS needs to change and it is disappointing that the BMA union still doesn’t accept that.’
The vote immediately acquired attention on Twitter, where GPC member and Lancashire GP Dr David Wrigley tweeted: ‘###Breaking News### The whole of UK medical profession voted just now to say ‘We have no confidence in @Jeremy_Hunt ’ - at @TheBMA #armlive’
Dr Jamie Green, a GP trainee in Northamptonshire, added: ‘#ARMlive rapturous applause as we pass a vote of no confidence in SoS for health Jeremy Hunt!’
Motion in full
‘That this meeting:
i. notes the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt’s attack on the NHS and his comments about mediocrity and coasting;
ii. has no confidence in the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt.’
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Readers' comments (11)
Vinci Ho24 Jun 2013 4:27pm
As far as argument goes :
If the budget if NHS is really 'ring fenced' , the money saved through efficiency saving was exactly the amount that needed to be reinvested into front lines to improve the OOH / A/E/ weekends situations . Where has the money gone?
Thou shall not treat the medical profession like idiots!!
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Anonymous24 Jun 2013 4:46pm
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Anonymous24 Jun 2013 5:00pm
He is a Hunt, say no more............
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Anonymous24 Jun 2013 5:07pm
What difference will this make ?
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Anonymous24 Jun 2013 5:24pm
This won't make any difference at all, but it's good to have this on record. He's the worst SOS for a long time, and let's be honest - there's pretty tough competition in that field.
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Anonymous24 Jun 2013 5:30pm
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Anonymous24 Jun 2013 6:30pm
1.Dr Martin Scurr-PRIVATE multi-millionaire GP/Daily Mail/runs private PORTOBELLO CLINIC.
2.Jeremy Hunt..........£4.8 million plus personal wealth-owner of Hotcourses PRIVATE company. Tax avoider-£100,000 in 2010.
3. Paul Dacre/Daily Mail Editor £2.8 million PER YEAR-superwealthy. £26,000 allowances including private medical plan.
Common denominator:
All MULTI-MILLIONAIRES with interests in private companies AND ALL HATE NHS GPs
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Anonymous24 Jun 2013 10:01pm
Why isn,t this this one of the headlines on the BBC, who over the last few months have led with anti NHS or In particular Anti GP rhetorhic?
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Anonymous24 Jun 2013 11:35pm
@above:
1.because it isn't news
2.The public don't see the "anti-GP" in the rhetoric.In fact they positively want Hunt to bring in 24/7 365 OOH GP care
3.We are seen as the enemy.Not quite as bad as bankers but still in the eyes of the public overpaid,lazy and incompetent who need to be brought to heel
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Anonymous25 Jun 2013 2:06pm
http://www.portobelloclinic.com/open-times/
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