Hammond 'ordered NHS chief to back health funding plan'

[Northerner]

Philip Hammond only agreed to the NHS’s £20bn budget boost on condition that the service’s outspoken chief executive backed the deal, sources close to the deal have disclosed.

The chancellor made it clear in tense eleventh-hour negotiations that Simon Stevens had to publicly welcome the funding deal or he would not give NHSEngland as much money as Theresa May announced.
Unless Stevens did so, Hammond would have handed the NHS a smaller percentage rise in each of the next five years than the 3.4% announced.

Stevens, a former adviser to Tony Blair in Downing Street, has taken issue publicly several times with the prime minister over exactly how much money the Conservative government has promised the NHS.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...ordered-nhs-chief-to-back-health-funding-plan

I feel sorry for Simon Stevens He is clearly a man who is passionate about the NHS, but I feel this has been exploited by the government for many years now, much in the same way that the doctors and nurses have put up with the pressures because it is their vocation to help the sick. Being pressured to cheer on the government's line is bullying, pure and simple I suspect he will find a way to let his true feelings be known.

 

[Bubbsie]

I don't feel sorry for Simon Stevens in the least...he is a powerful man in a powerful position...who should have resisted any attempt at bullying or coercion...bullying is prevalent at every level of our society...in the most surprising unexpected places...some exposed...some not...he should have stood his ground & refused to be cornered into the deal...exposing Jeremy Hunt & the politics of coercion.

 

[Vince_UK]

Bullying in the country is at epidemic levels. In the workplace, at schools, in the street in fact everywhere.
The only way to handle bullying is to take them head-on on and show them quite clearly they have picked on the wrong person. Bullies only succeed because they are allowed to get away with their vile activities. They are not challenged enough.
However, for me the worse type of bully is the one who hides behind their anonymity on platforms such as FaceBook and other so called social media as well as various internet forums. They are “brave” internet warriors who attack often but not always vulnerable people with their vile comments and sniping and who attempt to gather others of similar minds around them. They are also often the type of people who you would least expect to fall into this category. Much the same as the 1980’s football hooligans who usually were highly paid professionals.

 

[Bubbsie]

Bullying in the country is at epidemic levels. In the workplace, at schools, in the street in fact everywhere.
The only way to handle bullying is to take them head-on on and show them quite clearly they have picked on the wrong person. Bullies only succeed because they are allowed to get away with their vile activities. They are not challenged enough.
However, for me the worse type of bully is the one who hides behind their anonymity on platforms such as FaceBook and other so called social media as well as various internet forums. They are “brave” internet warriors who attack often but not always vulnerable people with their vile comments and sniping and who attempt to gather others of similar minds around them. They are also often the type of people who you would least expect to fall into this category. Much the same as the 1980’s football hooligans who usually were highly paid professionals.

OOh could we classify Jeremy Hunt as a highly paid professional bully Vince?

 

[Vince_UK]

OOh could we classify Jeremy Hunt as a highly paid professional bully Vince?

Well he is a Civil Servant and I am sure there are many hiding within the realms of bureaucatic security.

 

[grovesy]

I used think Hunt was bad, but I think both Hammond and May is just as bad.

 

[Bubbsie]

I used think Hunt was bad, but I think both Hammond and May is just as bad.

I agree grovesy… presenting it as a 'bonus' is so misleading...incredibly dishonest and to learn it was conditional (if all reports are to be believed) is shameful.