On 9 November, Boris Johnson tweeted an election promise that “there will be 6,000 more doctors” in the NHS if the Conservatives remain in power.
However, he probably didn’t anticipate the backlash that revealing this ‘policy’ would spark.
Empty promises
Doctors were swift to tear Johnson’s ‘promises’ apart:
https://twitter.com/DancingTheMind/status/1193467122145529856
https://twitter.com/dr_alex_gates/status/1193277287908683776?s=20
Others were quick to point out how unrealistic this pledge from Johnson really is, particularly given how long it takes to train GPs:
https://twitter.com/MichaelWaltenb2/status/1193497513745174528?s=20
Some, meanwhile, haven’t forgotten previous, similar pledges on which the Tories never followed through:
The same promise for an extra 5000 or so Doctors was made by Jeremy Hunt a few years ago. Ask the doctors and they'll tell you he lied and the 5000 didnt materialise. #boris is doing exactly the same. NEVER EVER TRUST THIS BAFOON https://t.co/B5tur0uUpj
— I Tate the Hories (@steviejay65) November 10, 2019
But Matt, you and your predecessor promised NHS England 5,000 extra GPs by NEXT YEAR! – now where on earth have THEY got to? #ToryLies https://t.co/ocIxQSOpoJ
— Dr Philippa Whitford (@Dr_PhilippaW) November 10, 2019
‘Leaky bucket’
Moreover, the Conservatives still continue to ignore the systemic issues their policies have caused within the NHS:
https://twitter.com/dr_alex_gates/status/1193259091365421058?s=20
After a decade of Tory austerity, the damage caused to the NHS has turned it into a ‘leaky bucket’. Until the gaps are all filled, temporary fixes won’t work:
We dont have a shortage of registered healthcare professionals.
We have a shortage of healthcare professionals unwilling to work in what are becoming intolerable conditions.
The NHS needs to be better at retention, not keep filling an increasingly leaky bucket. https://t.co/daMuRFesDj— Prof Alison Leary 💙#ProtectNurse (@alisonleary1) November 10, 2019
“The truth is that even with tax changes not all of these [doctors] will now be coaxed back into working overtime. They have reassesssed their work-life balance and chosen life.” https://t.co/JXqWy1HiaR
— Claire Burroughs (@BurroughsClaire) November 10, 2019
Save our NHS
Many people have had quite enough of the decimation of the NHS under the current government:
https://twitter.com/sean_goral/status/1193172123562500096
It’s important to remember that this isn’t a single-issue election. While people may have varied views on Brexit, implementing changes to rebuild the NHS is something most people can get behind:
Spending £43,000 per household over 5 years on NHS, public services, preventing global warming & transforming the economy to work for the many, not the few, sounds like a bargain to me.
— Ally Fogg (@AllyFogg) November 10, 2019
Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth reveals Labour’s manifesto pledge to reinstate NHS student bursaries worth £20,000 a year in maintenance and support, recruiting 24,000 nurses https://t.co/RhD4CQ0WI4
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) November 10, 2019
Johnson’s ongoing hospital PR visits haven’t been going so well. What’s more, NHS staff have recently been instructed not to share political opinions in the pre-election period. The Tories are obviously doing their best to silence criticism of the damage they’ve caused to the NHS. But it won’t be enough to fool the thousands of people who have been directly affected by debilitating cuts to their local hospitals and GP surgeries.
Featured image via YouTube/Guardian News
