Whole Person Care: the right answer to the wrong question?

“Can the Prime Minister guarantee there won’t be an A&E crisis this winter?”  With this question at PMQs Ed Miliband signalled the start of a concerted effort by Labour central office to go after Cameron’s record on the NHS.

As a choice of a topic to go negative on, the NHS is just the ticket.  In the last two years there has been a 43% increase in A&E waits of more than 4 hours and an 89% rise in “trolley waits” of up to 12 hours.  This after a warm October; February will be dreadful.

Why this is happening is no secret.  A huge reorganisation of the primary care structure at a time when money dried up and the demolition of other organisations that used to keep people out of A&E, like NHS Direct.  This is a disaster completely of the Tories making that will cost our country money and people their lives.

Cameron’s repeated promises in opposition make him look untrustworthy.  While his claim at PMQs this week that “the NHS is getting better in this country under this government” indicates that this could be to him what the 10p tax was to Brown: a clear indication of a PMs complete detachment from reality.

Picking a fight about the NHS will lead to the question of “what are Labour’s plans for the NHS?”

Whole Person Care is a brilliant policy.  It is exactly what the NHS needs: a seamless and efficient process of care for the demographic that most needs it.  Those involved in Labour’s health and social care policy review should spend the next 18 months developing it and when in government, we should get this done.  And, Andy Burnham is one of the few politicians in this country who could.

Whole Person Care is a great policy for when in government, but it is not the policy that wins this fight.

Opening up the NHS as a campaign issue leads to a debate that goes something like this: “we’ve cut 20,000 managers; yes, but you paid them six-figure separation fees”.  “We put 1000 more midwives in the NHS; yes, but you cut 5000 nurses”.  “People are waiting on trolleys; yes, but people were drinking vase water”.  “Oh, and have you seen the NHS in Wales”.

This is going to be a simple debate which will be played out on the front pages of the red top papers, on the sofas of breakfast television, in leaflets and on the doorstep.  The policy Whole Person Care is good for none of these.  It is complex and, as yet, ill defined.  It brings together many different areas of care and until implemented it will be hard to imagine what it will look like.  It will have a huge beneficial effect on A&E departments, but, in this debate, trying to explain why will be almost impossible.

To win this fight a clear, understandable and tangible campaign-focused policy is needed.  To win this fight over the NHS Labour needs a health campaign that is as straightforward and eye catching as the energy price freeze.