tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post4977729037028068607..comments2024-02-06T16:17:25.826+00:00Comments on THE GRØNMARK BLOG: Why there's no point going nuts about spending £500,000 on batsScott Gronmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118026157459333174noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post-71192446867117842082011-10-16T00:34:21.113+01:002011-10-16T00:34:21.113+01:00Almost anything can set me off these days. I'm...Almost anything can set me off these days. I'm obviously going batty. In this case, it was your mention of Norfolk. It caused me immediately to submit this entry to the <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/parliamentarian/" rel="nofollow">Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year 2011</a> awards:<br /><br /><i>The entitlement of the ancien régime at the head of the NHS must prevail.<br /><br />£11.4 billion has been earmarked for NPfIT, the NHS’s National Programme for IT, and £11.4 billion is what Sir David Nicholson KCB CBE, Chief Executive, will spend.<br /><br />NPfIT has been excoriated by the National Audit Office, the Public Administration Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. Water off a duck’s back.<br /><br />The fact that this expenditure of public money is not in the public interest cannot deter Sir David. The fact that CSC, one of the NPfIT contractors, is currently being sued for deception by its own shareholders is, in his eyes, a reason to give CSC another £3 billion.<br /><br />When the Prime Minister himself suggested that the NHS think twice about this £3 billion, Sir David got his Chamberlain, Christine Connelly, to tell Mr Cameron to mind his own business. And interventions by Ian Watmore, Permanent Secretary-“elect” of the Cabinet Office barely warrant a response.<br /><br />But now the sumptuous progress of this latter-day Bourbon is threatened by the determination of Richard Bacon MP, the Member for South Norfolk. Ms Connelly has been sacrificed. Sir David’s governance committee has been dissolved (not as funny as it sounds). And a people’s committee of sans-culottes aims to devolve power to the health trusts in line with the revolutionary government’s policy of localisation.<br /><br />The money is still pouring out. But the implacable Richard Bacon is beginning to staunch the flow and I commend him to the Spectator award judges.</i>David Mosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12345636878071983416noreply@blogger.com