Political

Norman Lamb launches cross-party NHS campaign – but with questionable campaigning approach

A good move on policy, but with a questionable campaigning detail, from Norman Lamb.

The gist of the policy is that Norman Lamb is following-up his earlier moves to encourage cross-party cooperation with a cross-party campaign on the NHS and social care.

But the campaign is pointing people at a petition on the Parliament website. That’s a very questionable campaigning move because the best and most successful campaigns create momentum and achieve political impact by building up a community of people behind them.

Getting people to sign a petition on the Parliament website, however, is a massive barrier to doing that – because the information on who is supporting your campaign goes to the government, not to you, and the people running a petition only have limited ways to keep in touch with petition signers and involve them further in the campaign.

It’s a classic error that Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians are a little prone to. It’s just the sort of thing the new post at HQ will hopefully help steer them away from in future.

Meanwhile, here’s the full story on the policy substance from Norman’s team with the petition link at the end:

A cross-party group of more than 20 MPs, co-ordinated by Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Norman Lamb, has today launched a major campaign calling on the Government to establish an NHS and Care Convention to find a long-term solution to the crisis in health and social care funding. 

  • The launch of the campaign is strengthened by an open letter to the Prime Minister, signed by 75 health and care organisations, urging her to pursue a cross-party process.
  • At Prime Minister’s Questions, Norman Lamb will urge Theresa May to meet with MPs to discuss the proposal.
  • Members of the public can support the campaign by signing up to an online petition on the UK Government and Parliament Petitions website.

In a joint statement, MPs from Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats note that there is “widespread recognition that the NHS and the social care system are under unsustainable strain and that the pressures on the system are increasing”.

They warn of an increase in failures of care and “very serious” consequences for vulnerable people if the Government does not take immediate action, noting estimates that more than a million elderly people currently are not receiving the social care and support that they need.

In recognition of these challenges, the MPs are encouraging the Prime Minister to establish a cross-party NHS and Care Convention to examine the immediate and longer-term funding requirements of NHS and social care services.  The Convention would engage patients, the public, civic society, staff, trade unions, and providers of health and care services in a national conversation about how we guarantee a strong and effective NHS and care system which is sustainable for the future.

Spearheaded by former Care Minister Norman Lamb, the statement is signed by the Conservative former health minister Dan Poulter MP and Labour former shadow care minister Liz Kendall MP. It is also supported by four Select Committee Chairs – Sarah Wollaston MP (Health Committee), Meg Hillier MP (Public Accounts Committee), Clive Betts MP (Communities and Local Government Committee) and Frank Field MP (Work and Pensions Committee) – along with more than a dozen other MPs and former Health Secretaries Stephen Dorrell and Alan Milburn.

A separate letter, which has been co-ordinated by Independent Age, is backed by charities, professional bodies and other organisations across the health and care sector including the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), Care England, The Patients’ Association, The Royal College of GPs, The Royal College of Nursing, and Marie Curie.

The open letter warns that unless the Prime Minister takes “a bolder approach millions of older, ill and disabled people and their carers will continue to be badly let down.”  The letter recognises that a long-term solution cannot be owned by one party, and demands a cross-party process which is:

  • Inclusive: established by the government with meaningful cross-party engagement
  • Open: listening to the public and professionals who use and work in these services every day
  • Urgent: ensuring the cross-party process gets underway without delay.

At Prime Minister’s Questions this afternoon, Norman Lamb will urge the Prime Minister to agree to meet with him and other MPs to make the case for a cross-party approach.

Norman Lamb MP, former Minister for Care and Support, said:

“The health and social care system in England is facing unprecedented challenges. Failing to find a solution to this crisis puts some of the most vulnerable people at risk – frail and elderly people in need of care services, disabled people who need support and people with long-term illnesses, particularly those suffering from mental ill health.

“Building a sustainable health and care system that can provide high-quality care can’t be realised without putting aside party political point-scoring.

“The public sick and tired of the NHS and care system being treated like a political football.  People have had enough, and are crying out for an honest discussion and bold solutions to these challenges.

“It speaks volumes that so many Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum are backing this initiative.  At Prime Minister’s Questions, I will urge Theresa May to recognise the gravity of the situation we are facing, and to agree to meet with us to listen to our proposal.”

MPs Statement in full

There is now a widespread recognition that the NHS and the social care system are under unsustainable strain, and that the pressures on the system are increasing and we will see failures of care. The consequences of this for many highly vulnerable people are very serious. We note that it is estimated that over a million older people in need of social care are not getting the care or support they need.

We welcome the Prime Minister’s focus on mental health, but also recognise that we will never achieve genuine equal treatment for those with mental ill health for so long as the whole system is under such financial pressure.

We are also concerned about the impact that these pressures are placing on staff in the NHS and the care system.

We recognise the importance of confronting this challenge and we accept that this transcends narrow party politics. A system designed to meet the needs of the population of this country in the 1940s is in need of renewal. It is not our intention to seek to blame any particular government or political party. Our aim is to find a sustainable solution that will have genuine cross-party support for the future.

In recognition of the scale of these challenges, we join together to launch a campaign to encourage the Government to establish a cross-party NHS and Care Convention to examine the future funding requirements of these cherished services and agree a new, long-term settlement to guarantee their sustainability for future generations and to ensure that this country has one of the best health and care systems in the world.

Now is the time for the Government to start a national conversation involving the public, civic society, healthcare professionals, carers and other experts.

We are pleased to note the call from over 70 health and care organisations including Medical Royal Colleges, charities and trade unions for the Prime Minister to initiate a cross party process.

There is a real urgency about this. The time to act is now, and we need the process completed within a clearly defined timescale.

Vulnerable people will be at risk if we do not confront this growing crisis, and we urge the Government to take immediate action in the interests of the country.
Signed,

Norman Lamb MP

Dan Poulter MP

Liz Kendall MP

Sarah Wollaston MP

Meg Hillier MP

Clive Betts MP

Frank Field MP

Nick Clegg MP

Andrew Murrison MP

Caroline Flint MP

Chuka Umunna MP

Jeremy Lefroy MP

Lisa Nandy MP

Tom Brake MP

Heidi Allen MP

Sarah Olney MP

Peter Bone MP

Greg Mulholland MP

Johnny Mercer MP

Ivan Lewis MP

Mark Williams MP

John Pugh MP

Stephen McPartland MP

Alan Milburn, former Health Secretary

Stephen Dorrell, former Health Secretary

Public Petition

A public petition has today been launched on the UK Government and Parliament Petitions website, ‘Theresa May: Seek an urgent cross-party solution to the health and care crisis’. Norman is encouraging members of the public to show their support by signing the petition.

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