Do we really need more ‘national conversations’?

Other than being fired out of a cannon to raise funds for the NHS, what could Wes Streeting possibly learn from a ‘national conversation’ about the NHS that he hasn’t already picked up from his time studying his own brief? At the launch event for that consultation, the Health Secretary explained that public buy-in was essential for the big reforms necessary to save the health service. He said: ‘I suppose you could say, well, you should just come in and impose your view of change,’ he said. ‘I’d just say to people, be careful what you wish for. The last time a new health secretary came in after a general election where their party won power, that was Andrew Lansley.’ 

Streeting is very clearly not another Lansley: his predecessor wasn’t all that into politics whereas the current Health Secretary loves a good campaign. But there are bigger differences here. The problem (well, one of many problems) with the Lansley reforms back in 2011 was that no-one other than Lansley himself had any idea what they meant.