If David Nicholson had any pride he would have gone as soon as the Mid-Staffs scandal broke, but the man with no shame is clinging on until next March.

Sir David Nicholson to resign as NHS CEO in March 2014, reports the Health Service Journal.—
Guido Fawkes (@GuidoFawkes) May 21, 2013

One again sorry seems to be the hardest word, apparently his “profound regret” isn’t preventing him from quitting his £211,000-a-year post for another ten months. Off to collect his massive pension pot and escape accountability. Presumably he won’t be giving back his iPhone either…

In this weekend’s Sun column Guido brought you Round One of Tory MP Mike Freer’s get-your-own-back campaign against 38 Degrees. Last night Freer explained his motives to Guido:

“I answer most personal emails myself and these auto campaigns actually dilute the service I can give. I hope to meet 38 Degrees to discuss.”

Seems 38 Degrees aren’t backing down, however. They insist to Guido:

“Mike Freer is an MP. Sorry he doesn’t like his voters getting in touch, but that’s part of his job. His voters have every right to contact him, and I’m sure they will continue to do so, particularly if he is doing stuff they don’t like. 38 Degrees will keep helping them make their voices heard. I’d be very happy to meet Mike and explain this to him over a coffee.”

Seconds out…

Judging by who David Nicholson has just chosen to be his number two, the Mail’s Man With No Shame nickname seems pretty apt. Let’s take a look at Dame Barbara Hakin’s CV:

• Paid £70,000 a year as national managing director of the NHS Commissioning Board.
• Reported to have forked out £500,000 for a gagging order to silence United Lincolnshire hospital trust, where 670 patients died needlessly.
• Believed to have quashed a report investigating why so many had died at the trust.
• Promoted to interim deputy chief executive of body in charge of the NHS, deputy to David Nicholson.

Sounds like the perfect candidate, then. Tory MP Philip Davies has slammed the appointment, telling Guido this morning:

“Given all that has happened in recent weeks this appears to be a bizarre appointment which sticks two fingers up to NHS patients’ but is business as usual for the people who are bringing the NHS into disrepute.”

Hard to argue…

The PM is finally turning the Mid Staffs fire towards Labour. Still standing by David Nicholson at PMQs, Dave seethed over the despatch box:

“It is an important point because everyone has to think of their responsibilities with regards to the dreadful events that happened at the Staffordshire hospital, including the fact that part of the problem was people following a very top-down, target-led agenda which led to patient care being put on the back burner. Now David Nicholson has made his apology and wants to get on with his job of running an excellent NHS, and other people, frankly, should be thinking of their positions too.”

Andy Burnham, who had the position of Health Secretary when 1,200 died at Mid Staffs, is in his sights. Labour are throwing their toys out of the pram over the Tories “politicising” the scandal. This time they mean it…

MPs have been deluged with emails from the obviously completely non-partisan “progressives” 38 Degrees over the last few days, opposing Jeremy Hunt’s “privatisation plot”. Tory backbencher Andrew Jones has rooted out the logic behind the campaign:

Dear colleague,

I am sure that, like me, you have received many standard emails via the 38 Degrees website on supposed NHS privatisation.

I thought you may be interested to know that the author of the 38 Degrees independent legal advice is former Labour MP, David Lock QC, who was the MP for Wyre Forest until losing to Dr Richard Taylor, the Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern candidate. Mr Lock remains active in Labour politics as Chair of the West Midlands Labour Finance and Industry Group.

Regards

Andrew

Andrew Jones MP
Member of Parliament for Harrogate and Knaresborough

As David Nicholson takes a battering at his select committee hearing this morning, it is worth noting the 38 Degrees campaign has absolutely nothing to say about the failings at Mid-Staffs…

At the height of the Healthcare Bill’s passage through parliament former Labour Health Secretary Andy Burnham was left looking like an idiot when he declared that the were just “two weeks to save the NHS”. The Bill became an Act and healthcare in Brtiain remained massively centralised and free at the point of entry. Well he’s back, and this this time he “means it”:

2 weeks to save the #NHS (& this time we mean it): Mon 18th March set for Lords debate & vote on s75 regs. Lab tabled 'fatal' motion.—
Andy Burnham (@andyburnhammp) March 04, 2013

So was it just spin and bluster last time?

Burnham all but went to ground during the fallout from the Francis Report. Given what happened on their watch up in Staffordshire, he should probably avoid using the words “fatal” and “Labour” in the same sentence. But it’s fine, he really means it “this time”.

Back in the summer of 2008 everything was so rosy for Polly Toynbee. Eleven years of Labour dominance, the Prime Mentalist was in power and, according to her, the NHS was going from strength to strength:

“This anniversary week the NHS has never been in better health. Never good enough, but now is the golden age on just about every available measure. No deficit but a surplus, no winter ward closures, no annual crises. Best of all, mortality amenable to healthcare figures – the avoidable death rates – now show a 21% improvement, far more than any other EU country. As those figures cover only 1998 to 2003 before the big spend, they are expected to have improved sharply.”

As Polly penned that piece from the confines of whichever million-pound house or Tuscan villa she was staying in that week, just what was happening back in the real world? This week’s Francis Report found that hundreds of patients had died needlessly at the mid-Staffordshire trust in the years between 2005 and 2008.

“Fundamental rights were denied,” Francis says, slamming the “appalling and unnecessary suffering”. Polly saw a golden age, Francis found a “lack of care, compassion, humanity and leadership”. For Polly it was a story of the NHS never being in better health, for Francis: “this is a story of appalling and unnecessary suffering of hundreds of patients. There was lack of humanity”.

Truly the envy of the world…

The Francis Report is out:

Inquiry chairman into #midtafs says "itis a story of appalling and uneccesary suffering"—
norman smith (@BBCNormanS) February 06, 2013

"fundamental rights denied" "appalling and unnecessary suffering" "lack of care, compasion, humanity and leadership" #WeLovetheNHS—
Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) February 06, 2013

Francis: this is a story of appalling and unnecessary suffering of hundreds of patients. There was lack of humanity—
Gordon Rayner (@gordonrayner) February 06, 2013

#midstaffs caused by "a failure of NHS systems at every level" says Robert Francis inquiry chairman—
norman smith (@BBCNormanS) February 06, 2013

Shocking Mid Staffs report is playing out as Cameron hoped: how can anyone argue the NHS isn't in bad need of reform any longer?—
Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) February 06, 2013

mike farrar from NHS confederation on bbc dp: one of the worst days in the NHS's history…i'm ashamed of whats happened at stafford—
Robin Brant (@robindbrant) February 06, 2013

The report concludes: ”The trust that the public should be able to place in the National Health Service was betrayed.”

The focus of the Jimmy Savile saga is moving away from just the BBC to the widespread grooming by the star of the National Health Service. ITV have the whole damning list of offences on NHS property in full:

• Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) – 16 offences between 1965 and 1995.
• Stoke Mandeville Hospital – 22 offences between 1965 and 1988.
• Broadmoor Hospital – one offence in 1991.
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust: St James University Hospital – one offence in 1962.
• High Royds Hospital – one offence in 1989.
• Dewsbury and District Hospital – one offence in 1969.
• Wycombe General Hospital – one offence.
• Great Ormond Street Hospital – one offence in 1971.
• Ashworth Hospital- one offence in 1971.
• Exeter Hospital – one offence in 1970.
• Portsmouth Royal Hospital – one offence in 1964.
• St. Catherine’s Hospital – one offence in 1964.
• Saxondale Hospital – one offence in 1971.
• Wheatfields Hospice – one offence in 1971.

A paedophile at the heart of the two most “cherished” institutions in this country. Guido hears that despite being launched at the beginning of December the Department of Health’s investigation has barely begun. The envy of the world…

Instead of spending money on important things like cancer drugs and nurses, some bright spark at the Department of Health has come up with the idea of bringing in an external PR agency, at great cost, to create a “NHS Change Day” out of thin air.

PR Week report that tender has gone out from the absurdly named ‘NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement’, or ‘Ni!’ for short, to come up with a day on which changes within the NHS can be celebrated by their staff. Here’s a better idea, why don’t they spend that money on saving lives? They can have that one for free…