faith in politics 2010
health
PLEASE NOTE: This page was for the 2010 general Election
See http://churcheselection.org.uk/ for the 2015 General Election
Background
Health is always a key issue in General Election campaigns. Throughout the last year key topics have been swine flu, dementia care, the crossover between social and health care, and the move to all nurses being graduates.
Issues
- Compassion - In January 2009 the National Health Service (NHS) published its constitution, and it contains the concept of ‘compassion':
"We respond with humanity and kindness to each person's pain, distress, anxiety or need. We search for the things we can do, however small, to give comfort and relieve suffering. We find time for those we serve and work alongside. We do not wait to be asked, because we care."
These are values that the Churches would want to endorse, but would also want to see the rights and responsibilities contained in the NHS constitution articulated in a way that enhances care.
- Access to services - These include seeing a GP at a time that suits the patient, access to services locally for accident and emergency care, cancer care, neonatal care, and how these are managed at a time of limited resources. Should school dental checks for every child be prioritised over eliminating mixed-sex accommodation in hospitals? Should people have a direct say in how their local health care provision and hospital services are provided? Are targets in healthcare a helpful aspiration or do they just contribute to more bureaucracy and form-filling? At the end of the day, the public want Scandinavian levels of service funded by US levels of taxation. It is the difficult job of politicians to promote their policies to the public. The Churches would want to stress the importance of serving those in greatest need first of all.
- Waiting times - There are ongoing questions about the use of ‘alternative providers' for surgery, including care abroad.
- Infections - Swine flu and the provision for care and the maintenance of services if the number of cases rise to epidemic proportions and also hospital acquired infections remain political issues. How can these be reduced and eliminated from health care settings?
- Mental health - With an increase in reporting of mental health problems linked to the current financial crisis, problems in the area of mental wellbeing are likely to affect more individuals, families and communities.
- Dementia - The UK's ageing population means there will be an increase in people suffering from dementia and the effect on their families, carers and the NHS will be costly.
- Nursing - Nurses are at the forefront of care and new guidelines indicate that, in the future, they must be graduates. Will this move lead to better standards of care?
Questions
- How can there be improved access to local specialist services eg cancer care, neonatal care?
- With an increasing elderly population, what support is needed to ensure excellent local care for those with dementia?
- What measures do you think should be taken to promote general health and fitness?
- What are your priorities in healthcare? How would you work out the allocation of resources to those people who are in greatest need?
Further information
The Revd Debbie Hodge, Secretary for Health Care Chaplaincy, Free Churches Group, Churches Together in England
Contact email 
Website 
Please note: the views and analysis outlined in this paper are those of the author alone and do not constitute a statement of policy on the part of the organisation the author belongs to.
Faith in Politics: Acknowledgement and thanks
