Happy birthday NHS

As Britain's greatest institution celebrates its 60th birthday, Jonn Elledge reports on a health service fed up with constant reorganisation Blow up the balloons, break out the bunting: this week the NHS turns 60, and Britain is rejoicing in the miracle of free healthcare. The medical profession, though, is in little mood for celebrating. Newspapers echo with claims that polyclinics are the end of the life as we know it. Doctors’ forums are packed with vicious attacks on the government, and threats to jump ship to Australia at the earliest opportunity. And at a recent BMA conference, a GP proposed a motion calling on the BBC’s Torchwood to ride to the rescue, on the grounds that only a group of fictitious alien crime fighters had any hope of saving the NHS. The odd thing is, in 1997, doctors were ready to welcome a Labour... [read full story]