Thread by @DrDomPimenta

Words not deeds. Commemorating @Jeremy Hunt: the UKs longest running health secretary. A thread by an #NHS doctor. /1
google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.…

Let’s start with his boss.
Words: “There will be no more pointless NHS reorganisations.” /2

Deeds: Biggest reorganisation of the NHS in history. At an estimated cost of at least £3billion. google.com/url?sa=i&sourc… /3

And the Tories themselves admitted it was a disaster. google.com/amp/s/www.inde… /4

And only 5 years later, Hunt is reorganising again.
m.huffingtonpost.co.uk/justin-madders…
/5

Even Stephen Hawking thought this was a terrible idea, and took Hunt to court. The court case is still going. google.com/amp/s/www.inde… /6

Words: “The NHS is not being privatised.” /7

Deeds: Private contracts up 500% since 2012
opendemocracy.net/ournhs/paul-ev… /8

Even while whole hospitals are taken over by private companies. And then dumped again when they didn’t make any money.
google.com/amp/s/amp.theg… /9

And whole regional services.
google.com/amp/s/amp.theg… /10

And future fears whole regions will be run by private companies.
google.com/amp/s/www.inde… /11

Even Stephen Hawking disagreed.
google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.… /12

Words: “We are funding the NHS properly, according to its own plan.” /13

Deeds: The Five Year Forward plan projected an funding gap of £30b by 2020- so far it’s received only £4b. /14
england.nhs.uk/wp-content/upl…

Simon Stevens was reportedly laughed out of Cameron’s office when he asked for the MINIMUM in the plan, a plan which required 2-3% cuts every year to maintain service. telegraph.co.uk/news/health/ne… /15

Meanwhile the NHS deficit is at -£4b. It was running a surplus in 2009. (Despite cutting staff pay by 15-25% relative to inflation.)
kingsfund.org.uk/publications/a… /16

Every government for 70 years has “put more” on average into the NHS. This is health inflation and affects every developed nation with an ageing population. /17

The average rise for the last six decades? 3-4%.
The average rise under the Tories and Hunt? 0.5-0.9%. /18

In healthcare funding cuts cost lives.
ox.ac.uk/news/2017-02-2… /19

Words: “I value NHS STAFF.” /20

Deeds: Nurses bursaries cut. Some nurses even relying on food banks. /21
google.com/amp/s/amp.theg…

Words: “5000 more GPs by 2020.” Election promise, 2015.
nhsconfed.org/supporting-mem… /22

Deeds: in 2018, GP numbers actually falling.
pulsetoday.co.uk/news/gp-topics… /23

Words: “Mental health is a top priority”
google.com/amp/s/www.york… /24

Deeds: 6000 mental health nurses cut. Mental health patients in crisis shipped all over the country for a bed.
google.com/amp/s/amp.theg…
google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.… /25

Words: “I want to make the NHS the safest healthcare system in the world.”
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan… /26

Deeds: Hunt took safety whistleblowers to court.
google.com/amp/s/www.mirr… /27

Prevailed over the “worst winter in the NHS”, EVERY year for the last FOUR. Each worse than the last. /28

Ambulances stopped coming in time.
itv.com/news/2018-01-0… /29

People dying on trolleys.
independent.co.uk/life-style/hea… /30

Dropped waiting time targets for A&E and urgent surgery.
google.com/amp/s/amp.theg… /31

100,000 staff short. 10,000 doctors short.
google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.…
/32

40,000 nurses short.
google.com/amp/s/inews.co… /33

I have worked in the NHS full time for 6 years. This is the least safe I have ever seen it. /34

: A Health secretary defined by political spin, by words not deeds. Leaving us having to explain to families why we couldn’t do more. /35

So Jeremy Hunt is the longest-running Health Secretary in NHS history.
Based on his record thus far, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the last as well. /end