Clive Stone: Government must tell us how NHS will be funded

I have been having a different time away from the keyboard recently by spending one day a week at the marvellous Sobell House Hospice Day Centre in Oxford.

I was a little wary at first as I had to come to terms with the fact that this was where my late wife was looked after so splendidly before she died, just a few years ago. I thought it might bring back unhappy memories.

However, this was never a problem and I now have a new group of friends and look forward to my visits.

I have nothing but praise for the caring and positive attitude with which we are all welcomed by both staff and the hardworking team of volunteers who look after us all so well.

I never thought that I would ever get to have a go at Pilates.

It was also good to just sit and chat with others in a very positive environment and enjoy a welcome well-cooked meal – much better than my own feeble efforts!

This is an incredible local asset for patients and we are lucky to have this facility so close at hand.

At long last the dust has settled after the general election circus.

The ongoing debate concerning the future of our beloved NHS rightly became one of the key election issues for most of the population.

Yet we were left confused by the number of new daily promises made from different political parties as each tried to offer a better vote-winning deal.

The experience was unnerving for many, especially the frail, sick and elderly. Many disabled people like me are fighting to survive in the face of a life-threatening disease and we desperately need reassurance that we will be listened to and taken seriously as we have little option but to rely on a strong, well-funded and supportive NHS.

Having said this, it was of some comfort to hear our Prime Minister confirm that the Conservatives have no plans to take away such support, but I just have no idea how it will be funded.

It is now important that we regularly hold our new Government and senior NHS managers to account if we are ever to realise the goal of achieving the long-promised access to innovative new technology.

We still read about reported sky-high salaries for senior administrators and over-use of expensive agency staff, which I am pleased to say is at long last now being addressed. Indeed, this whole subject of capping very high management salaries has already caused discussion and comments amongst readers of HSJ magazine.

It appears that a change in the culture is way overdue among the middle and senior management ranks, with greater emphasis required on leadership, improved patient outcomes, greater flexibility, equality, and less role duplication.

This is all relevant in the light of the recent announcement by our PM that the NHS will be more efficient and properly funded, and continue to be available to all, free at the point of entry. I personally feel that most of us would be prepared to pay a small increase in income tax to ensure we meet the frequent staffing gaps and receive proper timely treatment, but only if it was used wisely and not wasted.

Promises: Prime Minister and Clive Stone’s constituency MP David Cameron

The health and social care budget has again been cut back, which reminds me that no confirmation has yet been received concerning continuation of the Disability Living Allowance, which may also be taxed for genuine patients struggling to get by with added costs due to various levels of disability.

I would be the first to object to this personally as I have already paid a lifetime of taxes together with £30k for my Gamma Knife treatment, which was declined by my local NHS.

We have yet to be provided with any robust or exact detail from our new government as to exactly how this is to be achieved as the funds have to come from somewhere. The survival and sustainability of our NHS certainly became the most significant issue of the election as it affects us all. Yet the alarming funding shortfall is still growing by the day.

The NHS is often said to be one of the most efficient health systems as we spend less of our gross domestic product than other European Union counties per head of population. This is the wrong way of tackling the issue. It’s time to bite the bullet and apply slightly higher tax rates if we are to attempt to match better patient experience and outcomes than other countries.

As I said before we must have a government fully prepared to take this on as the health of our children is becoming yet another pressing concern.