The Lib Dems quietly debate the NHS

Chris Huhne’s tough guy act aside, the major event in Birmingham today was the Lib Dems’ NHS debate. When Andrew Lansley’s contentious NHS reforms were derailed earlier this year, Liberal Democrats claimed the credit and senior party strategists believe the leadership must carry on broadcasting that message at any and every opportunity. The party seems to agree. Grande Dame Shirley Williams, eminent backbencher John Pugh and health minister Paul Burstow all crowed in unison that these reforms would look far worse but for the Liberal Democrats’ intervention. Williams and Pugh commended Burstow’s success in tempering reform while the absent Nick Clegg was also warmly applauded for his efforts.

But the panel, and the hall, made clear that there is more work to be done. Williams stressed there were two areas of the bill that required amendment: the role of Monitor (the regulator) and the role of secretary of state. It was vital, she said, that the regulator would not allow practices to cherry-pick and imperative, constitutionally, that the secretary of state remained fully accountable to parliament – especially as £100 billion of taxpayers’ money is spent on the NHS annually.