A storm in a tea cup or a legitimate gripe about being kept out of the decision-making loop at the highest level? The health ministers of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are in no doubt about the validity of their complaint. t
A storm in a tea cup or a legitimate gripe about being kept out of the decision-making loop at the highest level? The health ministers of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are in no doubt about the validity of their complaint. Yesterday they wrote to Alan Johnson, their counterpart at Westminster, to register their disapproval after learning from their officials that talks were scheduled for today, including a meeting with trades unions, on the pay of NHS staff. They criticised their lack of involvement to date, sought assurances that no significant decisions would be made today and demanded to be involved thereafter.
It is not the first time the SNP government has had a spat with the London government over consultation and funding. These disputes seem to occur on almost a weekly basis. What is new, and probably of greater significance, is that Stormont and Cardiff have weighed in too. It is significant that health is the subject of this tension. The political leaderships of the devolved administrations have seized on the row to make a point about their visions for the NHS and comparing it with the agenda in England, where there is a greater emphasis on privatisation and competition.
How much political mileage there is to be gained from this is not clear. The Scottish health agenda is set by the Holyrood administration and, even under the previous Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition, English health policies were given short shrift north of the border. Foundation hospitals, being rolled out in England but absent in Scotland, were a case in point. Equally, it is not entirely evident at this stage if being out of the loop today will turn out to be more huff and puff than righteous indignation.
After all, contracts for key NHS workers are similar across Britain and review bodies make recommendations on pay, taking account of the views of the devolved nations in their deliberations. Even then, there is scope for flexibility, as the up-front, fully-implemented awards for nurses and police officers in Scotland demonstrate. So is this little more than the scoring of cheap politcal points? No. A pay award of more than one year is under consideration and, given the possible implications on recruitment, retention and budgets, it would make sense to involve each of the administrations from the word go to gauge their views and have their input. Anything less tends to get up collective noses, as is evident from yesterday's letter. The atmosphere needs to be better than that to deliver a settlement everyone can live with.
Britain's political landscape has changed, more so given the range of parties in power in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. They need to be responsible in their dealings with Westminster. London, it appears, still needs to adjust to the new landscape. Talking is better than scrapping.
