A voice from the wilderness

In the spirit of the new Health Minister's promise to read one in fifty, randomly selected letters to the Department of Health, I've e-mailed him (Andrew Lansley, Health Minister and Paul Burstow as Junior Minister for Care Services) suggesting they follow this blog to get a feel for what it's like on the front line. I just hope they don't simply try to use it to try to discredit the concept of Personalisation - you'll be aware that I'm not a big fan of Direct Payments and Personalisation myself but that's not because the ideas are bad, it's simply that -

• Direct Payments aren't right for us - we spend all our time doing the care and don't have the time left to do all the admin/staff stuff etc. involved. They are great for some people.
  
• I feel Personalisation has been hijacked as a 'one size fits all' solution and is being used simply to cut services and costs by Local Authorites - as often Conservative as Labour (or even Lib Dem). It's the way it's being bastardised in use, not the concept that is wrong.

It'll be interesting to see if I get any reaction - here's hoping. If just a few people in the Department have a surreptitious look now and then, it will have done something for awareness - and if you're doing it now - welcome, just check over your shoulder!