The health secretary’s plan for NHS reform focuses on improving patient safety, but his proposals are overshadowed by the funding deficit and issues around seven-day working
Jeremy Hunt’s “25-year vision” for the NHS, unveiled this week, is an amalgam of rapid change, inspiring transatlantic collaboration, another round of institutional demolition, a gimmick and a plan for the release of dodgy patient safety data.
The ultimatum to the BMA over seven-day working – forcing through new seven-day contracts – reflects frustration at the excruciatingly slow progress towards achieving this key patient safety goal. Getting it in place has been dogged by questioning of the mortality data, demands for more money and arguments over the out of hours availability of support services. While all these have their merits, they do not amount to a justification for endless prevarication. It is a tough deal for doctors, but it will drive through a crucial and long overdue cultural change.
Related: Jeremy Hunt's divisive approach to seven-day NHS services benefits no one
Related: Seven-day NHS: five questions that need to be answered
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