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. Philip Painter

    Cameron declares war on… the doctors? http://s.coop/usw

  2. Alan W

    Was glad to see Miliband raising the EU competition law issue today in PMQs. This is an aspect of the NHS proposals Labour should really be making a big deal about for two main reasons.

    First, because it’s the key issue that exposes the Bill as a Trojan horse for the wholesale privatisation of the NHS. Once EU competition law takes hold over health, they’ll be no getting rid of it, and the NHS will be left totally exposed to profiteering by Lansley’s private health industry chums.

    Second, because it has the potential to seriously piss off the Europhobic Tory right. Perhaps Miliband should even adopt some Daily Mail style xenophobic sloganising about selling out our health service to Brussels. That would leave a whole host of Tory backbenchers absolutely bloody seething.

  3. M McLaughlin

    RT @f8vnz: Cameron declares war on… the doctors? http://s.coop/usw

  4. itsmotherswork

    RT @f8vnz: Cameron declares war on… the doctors? http://s.coop/usw

  5. Mr. Sensible

    If Cameron’s that keen to listen to doctors and patients he should get rid of this bill.

    Doctors don’t like it, nurses don’t like it, the public don’t like it, and I think we got an idea earlier as to who does.

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