Has Cameron declared war on the BMA?

Public Services

At Prime Minister's Questions today, David Cameron complained of "roadblocks" to reform of the NHS, but at first did not refer directly to the BMA.

At Prime Minister’s Questions today, David Cameron complained of “roadblocks” to reform of the NHS, but at first did not refer directly to the British Medical Association; the doctors’ representative body, who called yesterday for the NHS bill to be dumped.

Then, in his answer to Ed Miliband’s final question, he said:

“He should remember the fact that the BMA opposed foundation hospitals, they opposed GP fundholding, they opposed longer opening hours for GPs’ surgeries.

“Isn’t it typical, just as he has to back every other trade union, just as he has no ideas of his own, he comes here and just reads a BMA press release.”  

It’s all a far cry from speeches in the early days of Cameron’s leadership, where he tried to reassure public service workers as to the intentions of a Tory government.

He said:

“I believe that the more you trust people, the stronger they and society become. In the NHS, that means trusting in the expertise and experience of health professionals.”

Considering more than 90 per cent of the British public trust doctors, while barely more than one in ten trust politicians, is the prime minister picking the right enemies?

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20 Responses to “Has Cameron declared war on the BMA?”

  1. P Spence

    “….every other trade union”. Oh dear. Cameron is letting the mask slip. The NHS White Paper may prove to be the Coalition’s undoing. The smokescreen of patient empowerment and devolving decisions to GPs is blowing fast away to reveal the true nature of the plan: to expose the NHS to the full force of competition, policed by Monitor and locked in by EU competition law. The consequences are unthinkable and certainly destructive.

  2. WestMonster

    RT @leftfootfwd: Has Cameron declared war on the BMA? http://bit.ly/gZ54Ez – #PMQs report by @DanielElton

  3. Daniel Pitt

    Has Cameron declared war on the BMA? http://bit.ly/gZ54Ez #ConDemNation

  4. Neil Foster

    For more info on doctor’s opinions and trust levels through MORI, see the article below.

    http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/03/09/do-conservatives-really-think-they-can-take-on-doctors-and-win/

  5. Molly

    RT @leftfootfwd: Has Cameron declared war on the BMA? http://bit.ly/gZ54Ez – #PMQs report by @DanielElton

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