Keogh Review and a new law?

Julie has counted the number of clicks it takes to find the real cost of the Keogh Review from the public purse.

It takes 6 clicks.

This, of course, is a ridiculous number.

It would have been much better to have seven clicks, since SEVEN is the magic number.

But what if those sitting on Reviews, Committees, etc are unable to generate magic?

What if the number SEVEN means nothing to those who make decisions about how our money is spent?

What if there are no witches on these committees?

What should be done then, to ensure those who use the NHS are informed clearly and concisely about where their money has gone?

For once, My Black Cat has come up with a very sensible answer.

Indeed, it is so sensible, that she is certain that someone, somewhere, will start lobbying parliament for this to become the law of the land.

She thinks that all documents related to healthcare from whatever source, be it government, hospital, or any other body using public money, should have the first page after the title page completely dedicated to giving a summary of the full costs. It should also indicate those private companies, charities or individuals who benifit financially from the exercises. Included on this page should be an estimated cost for NHS staff time lost due to preparation and meetings. Any link on this page should not be a hide-and-seek exercise to find the full costs but rather one clear direct link for those who are interested in obtaining more detailed information on the full breakdown of the costs.

After all, it is our money collected from us to be used for the communal health benefit. When times are hard, such a law would ensure the public can see for themselves whether activities related to healthcare are being sensibly prioritised or whether money is being wasted debating ideas and activities that are clearly unworkable.

Well, My Black Cat, it seems this is one of your more sensible ideas.

But who is going to lobby for you?

No-one will listen to a cat!

And you’re not going to get any help from me! This old witch has far too many other things to do right now!