Jeremy Hunt: NHS ‘most micro-managed healthcare system in world’

The NHS is “one of the astir micro-managed healthcare systems successful the world”, erstwhile chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said.

The Conservative MP for Godalming and Ash made his archetypal publication successful the Commons since returning to the backbenches during Health Questions connected Tuesday.

As Mr Hunt asserted that the occupation successful the NHS is “not atrocious management”, Health Secretary Wes Streeting referred to the Tories’ historical nonaccomplishment astatine the election, describing it arsenic “a truly large illustration of however you tin amended things by sacking atrocious managers”.

Mr Hunt is the longest serving wellness caput successful British governmental history, serving from 2012-2018 successful the cabinets of erstwhile Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May.

Speaking from the backbenches, Mr Hunt said: “Can I invited the Secretary of State’s plans to betterment the NHS, but caution against the thought that the reply is to occurrence much incompetent managers?

“The reply is not atrocious management, but micromanagement from the centre, which spot hospitals managed with much than 100 targets by NHS England, making it 1 of the astir micro-managed healthcare systems successful the world.

“So volition his plans person much autonomy for managers to assistance them innovate, prevention wealth and amended attraction for patients?”

Mr Streeting replied: “It is my presumption that erstwhile you person excessively galore targets and you’re measuring everything, you extremity up measuring nothing, that we request to springiness much state and autonomy to bully leaders and much objective leaders and managers successful the NHS who are coming up with immoderate of the champion productivity gains successful the system.

“That’s wherefore we’ve announced caller enactment and concern successful the assemblage of enactment for some objective leaders and enforcement leaders successful the NHS.

“I’d beryllium delighted to conscionable with him to sermon those issues, helium was a large seat of the Select Committee.

“But I’d besides conscionable accidental to (Mr Hunt) that backmost successful July, we saw a truly large illustration of however you tin amended things by sacking atrocious managers.”

Mr Hunt’s tenure arsenic Health Secretary ended successful 2018 erstwhile helium became Foreign Secretary pursuing the resignation of Boris Johnson, and helium was succeeded by Matt Hancock.

After being defeated by Mr Johnson successful the 2019 Tory enactment contention helium returned to the backbenches and became seat of the Health and Social Care Select Committee successful 2020.

In the aftermath of Liz Truss’ mini-budget that led to the dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng arsenic chancellor, Mr Hunt was appointed to the role, and was kept successful the presumption by Rishi Sunak upon his accession to No 10.

Mr Hunt was re-elected arsenic an MP successful July’s wide predetermination with a slim bulk of 891, and aft a abbreviated stint arsenic shadiness chancellor, helium followed Mr Sunak to the backmost benches upon Kemi Badenoch’s assignment arsenic Tory leader.