Mixed response to Lord Darzi's hospital vision (From Surrey Comet)

Mixed response to Lord Darzi's hospital vision

6:24pm Tuesday 23rd March 2010 in Kingston Hospital under threat By David Lindsell

This article appeared in the Surrey Comet on March 12 2010

Leading surgeon Lord Ara Darzi was asked in July 2007 to conduct a wide-ranging review of the NHS to improve patient care.

Although he resigned last year, his central ideas - concentrating specialist services as well as building 150 GP-led health centres across England to provide more care closer to people’s homes are still at the heart of NHS London’s reviews.

Minister Mike O’Brien defended the review saying opponents were displaying a "stop the bus, I want to get off" approach.

But former health minister Frank Dobson said the idea everybody had supported Lord Darzi’s vision for healthcare was "preposterous".

He said about 1,800 Londoners supported Darzi and about 1,700 did not.

He said: "So the view was far from unanimous even among those who were consulted."

Mr Dobson called for decisions about healthcare to be taken by ministers who could be held accountable.