Barking Mad

Lansley and hautot
Last week the health secretary of the Westminster government - Andrew Lansley - was caught up in a protest about the coalition's plans for the NHS in England and Wales.

An elderly woman - June Hautot (75) - blocked the minister's path and had her name and face splattered over the newspapers the following day.

The slight problem is that she's barking mad it would seem - as far as making a rational argument is concerned anyway.

So while the London pensioner's views on the health service may be heartfelt - they have the big downside of not making any sense - which is a fact of life with some NHS campaigners in my experience.

Here are some of June's thoughts on the NHS which were published by the Guardian - I imagine the men in white coats will be arriving any time soon.

Because the present government's NHS policies are not so very different from the last Labour government.

Despite what the protesters say.

"I have been campaigning to protect the NHS from 1979 when the Conservative government started closing hospitals; in Wandsworth, where I live, they closed five. I campaigned under the Labour government, too. But this is the most frightening situation I have seen.

The NHS is so important to me because I was born outside it, so I know how difficult it is to live without it. I saw my father going to work when he was very ill, because he couldn't afford to take time off. My mother was ill and he had to pay five shillings for the doctor, our rent was only 12 shillings, so he had to work even though he had emphysema. In those days you couldn't afford to be ill – and that's what's going to happen again.

If this bill goes through it is another step towards privatisation and we will no longer have the same care for everyone. I won't feel safe. Under the NHS I feel safe, but once it goes private who is accountable? Already it's difficult to see a chiropodist, optician or dentist."

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