Published: February 24th 2012 - at 2:21 pmUnbelievable: Hague to rally against NHS cuts
The hypocrisy of government ministers knows no bounds.
The Foreign Secretary William Hague is to join a mass protest against NHS cuts in May, the Sun reveals today.
No doubt the move will also raise speculation that he was among the three cabinet ministers who raised their concerns via ConservativeHome of the NHS Bill.
Hague says he is against plans to move inpatient paediatric care to James Cook University Hospital — a modern 1,010-bed unit 22 miles away in Middlesbrough.
This would mean the maternity unit at Friarage, a 230-bed district hospital, would only be available for straightforward births. Mr Hague has warned that some young families and pregnant women living in the moors would face journeys of up to 60 miles for specialist treatment.
Guess what – if you force NHS trusts to save money then they have to close hospital units.
Every hospital or unit closure will now be (rightly) associated with the NHS Bill.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail has also stepped up its reporting on the NHS.
In a long article a writer compares her treatment on the NHS and in an American hospital. Her conclusion?
The NHS was not free to me because I have not lived in Britain for so long. I have yet to receive the bill, but the published cost of a gall bladder removal by laparoscopy is around £3,000 in the UK, so I am expecting a similar charge for my appendectomy in London.
But no one was rushing to get my signature on the dotted line, unlike in LA. A pleasant lady turned up with a form giving my insurance details, which I could sign at my leisure on the day I left the Chelsea and Westminster.
Of course, for most people reading this article there would be nothing to pay. So, next time you hear an NHS horror story, remember the other side of the coin.
The NHS may have its faults but, rather like having surgery itself, it really is so much better than the alternative.
Andrew Lansley is in deep, deep trouble.
Update: Alex Andreou has an excellent video of David Cameron sounding a very different note on the NHS than now.
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Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments
Thank you, Mr Hague. I always did think you were superior to your colleagues.
Consider: should William Hague be allowed to march with the people? Has he earned the right, by being part of this government and voting for some of the most heinous legislation to destroy lives since appeasement?
AND, if he is going to, who else and what is David Cameron thinking now? And Andrew Lansley? You’re right to say he is in deep, deep trouble, if a heavyweight such as Hague is an opponent.
This is farking bonkers, chums. My gov is falling apart a the seems; we’re making a terrible bloody hash of it. I won’t tell if you wont — okay? Mum’s the word.
@ 2
“Consider: should William Hague be allowed to march with the people?”
Allowed by whom?
“The NHS may have its faults but, rather like having surgery itself, it really is so much better than the alternative” – yes, I’ve met a few middle class punters who are frankly astonished that NHS care does not take place in a drafty tent on the edge of a municipal car park – why some hospitals even have people called surgeons and anaesthetists who do clever things inside a patient’s body – who’dv thunk it?
Got a video of hague making love and i watch it on monday mornigns
That will be the day !
‘Of course, for most people reading this article there would be nothing to pay’
Right – so it’s completely free then, not funded by taxpayers at all. Good – I’ll ask for some tax back as it is apparently free.
Jeez!
@ 8 Max
It helps to read words in context.
9. Chaise Guevara
It helps to read words in context.
Can’t be irony. Sarcasm?
@ 10 SMFS
Sardonic. Can’t be sarcasm because it DOES help to read words in context. It stops people confusing things like “free at the point of use” with things like “actually free through magic of some kind”.
11. Chaise Guevara
Sardonic. Can’t be sarcasm because it DOES help to read words in context.
I agree, I so agree. The issue is why do you insist on taking words out of context.
It stops people confusing things like “free at the point of use” with things like “actually free through magic of some kind”.
Yes but of course the people doing the confusion here was in the original article – quoting the Daily Mail. The NHS is not free, and the Daily Mail knows this, but they choose that form of words. Presumably to mislead.
[12] “the Daily Mail knows this, but they choose that form of words. Presumably to mislead” – the heil trying to mislead, are you sure?
It’s so hard to tell the difference between the ‘real’ news and The Daily Mash these days. I really hope someone points out to that buffoon that the cuts are going to make him very unpopular in his own constituency.
@ 12 SMFS
“I so agree. The issue is why do you insist on taking words out of context.”
I don’t. Only existing phenonema need explaining 
“Yes but of course the people doing the confusion here was in the original article – quoting the Daily Mail. The NHS is not free, and the Daily Mail knows this, but they choose that form of words. Presumably to mislead.”
They said there was nothing to pay, and the CONTEXT was the point of use. Let me know if that’s still proving too difficult for you.
@15 CG
‘The NHS was not free to me because….’ sets the context I think. Not a mention of point of use.
There are no NHS cuts. Spending on Health is rising.
Except in Wales, where Labour IS cutting.
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- Alan MacLean
Unbelievable: William Hague joins rally against local NHS cuts, claiming it's nothing to do NHS bill http://t.co/3D0TM0Zl
- t hill
Unbelievable: William Hague joins rally against local NHS cuts, claiming it's nothing to do NHS bill http://t.co/3D0TM0Zl
- John Whitaker
Unbelievable: William Hague joins rally against local NHS cuts, claiming it's nothing to do NHS bill http://t.co/3D0TM0Zl
- Green Steve
Unbelievable: William Hague joins rally against local NHS cuts, claiming it's nothing to do NHS bill http://t.co/3D0TM0Zl
- Richard Williams
This is getting a little bit surreal… RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Hague joins rally against NHS cuts http://t.co/RynbwF0b
- Eileen Cowen
Unbelievable: William Hague joins rally against local NHS cuts, claiming it's nothing to do NHS bill http://t.co/3D0TM0Zl
- Janet Graham
Unbelievable: Hague joins rally against NHS cuts http://t.co/YwLcqT7o
- Lucy Jordan
Unbelievable: William Hague joins rally against local NHS cuts, claiming it's nothing to do NHS bill http://t.co/3D0TM0Zl
- TheCreativeCrip
This is getting a little bit surreal… RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Hague joins rally against NHS cuts http://t.co/RynbwF0b
- Derek Bryant
This is getting a little bit surreal… RT @libcon: Unbelievable: Hague joins rally against NHS cuts http://t.co/RynbwF0b
- Paul Durant
Unbelievable: William Hague joins rally against local NHS cuts, claiming it's nothing to do NHS bill http://t.co/3D0TM0Zl
- Daniel Thornton
Unbelievable: William Hague joins rally against local NHS cuts, claiming it's nothing to do NHS bill http://t.co/3D0TM0Zl
- thats him!!
libcon Liberal Conspiracy
Unbelievable: Hague joins rally against NHS cuts http://t.co/MqRbe0VP #skynews @BBCNews #bbcnews @SkyNews #C4 - thats him!!
Unbelievable: Hague joins rally against NHS cuts http://t.co/YwLcqT7o
- Chris Salter
Unbelievable: Hague to rally against NHS cuts | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/rdHRdaSm #ppnews
- Angus Carruthers
Unbelievable: Hague to rally against NHS cuts | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/rdHRdaSm #ppnews
- David Dubost
Unbelievable: Hague to rally against NHS cuts http://t.co/cgiyYQ4f
- Ferenkeh Jalloh
Unbelievable: Hague to rally against NHS cuts | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/rdHRdaSm #ppnews
- Marat1789
Unbelievable: William Hague joins rally against local NHS cuts, claiming it's nothing to do NHS bill http://t.co/3D0TM0Zl
- parlet scimpernel
Unbelievable: Hague to rally against NHS cuts | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/3P3ao2vV via @libcon
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