The health secretary's words, heralding the announcement of 17 more walk-in health clinics and new national standards for mental health care, reflect government frustration at the BMA's caution over the flagship changes seen by ministers as making the NHS more consumer oriented. But we do ask for evidence based change. The 17 further walk-in clinics will bring the total to 36. Further strain on relations between the BMA and the government relations came yesterday when Andrew Hobart, chairman of the association's junior doctors committee, said the health department had last week acted in bad faith in claiming prematurely that there was an agreement on working hours and overtime pay. The new standards for mental health care, unveiled by Mr Dobson, are set out in the first of a series of care frameworks.
Further blueprints are due for heart disease, care of older people and diabetes.
As well as stipulating that all patients must have their needs assessed and provided for, the framework states that their carers must also have needs assessed at least annually. They must be given their own written care plan, implemented in discussion with them. Now the glass slipper has been found, the government will need to invest heavily in makiing sure it fits.