NHS boss was urged to SEX UP letter to raise terror fears

Last Updated: January 8, 2016By

Sir Bruce Keogh was allegedly told to make the letter as hard-hitting as possible [Image: Getty/Express].

Clearly, the fact that the government is prepared to behave in this way shows it is untrustworthy. How can junior doctors negotiate with an organisation that is prepared to lie about the effects of their action?

Note also that, in the source article, the Department of Health tried to say the planned industrial action creates a major safety risk.

Firstly, this is not the same as a Paris-style terror attack.

Secondly, the only reason industrial action is planned is the government’s intended imposition of unfair pay and working conditions.

So – let us be clear on this – it is the Conservative Government that is creating a major safety risk, not junior doctors.

Government officials encouraged an NHS boss to make a letter that raised concerns over whether striking junior doctors could respond to a Paris-style terror attack as “hard edged” as possible, it has been claimed.

Emails revealed Sir Bruce Keogh’s letter, which expressed concerns about the possible impact of a major incident, was revised several times by Whitehall officials.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt was also given a chance to approve the text, which was sent to the British Medical Association (BMA) in November.

It comes as talks between the government and the BMA continue in a bid to reach a resolution that will prevent three upcoming periods of strike action.

With one day to go before the first strike was announced, a Department of Health official told Sir Bruce the potential risk of a “major incident” would be “pressed quite hard in the media once the strike is formally announced”.

He was also advised that “the more hard-edged you can be on this, the better”.

Jeremy Hunt also assured Sir Bruce that he would not have to speak to the media on the day the strike was announced “so long as” his letter made clear his opposition to the walk-out.

Source: NHS boss urged to SEX UP letter to raise terror fears | UK | News | Daily Express

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No Comments

  1. mrmarcpc January 8, 2016 at 3:59 pm - Reply

    Another one of CHunt’s stupid ideas!

  2. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) January 8, 2016 at 4:26 pm - Reply

    Total lack of integrity!

  3. daijohn January 8, 2016 at 4:29 pm - Reply

    Why is it that one side has to always accommodate the alarmist reactions of the other? If the government has the insight that terrorist activity may take place then they should say so and therefore come to the table with a solution and not wave dark flags of fear and intimidation.

  4. roybeiley January 8, 2016 at 5:23 pm - Reply

    Makes me want to cry! What has this Govt done to the hard working folks who provide the services we all rely on and cherish? Trash them thats what they are doing. Keogh should be ashamed of himself and tell them to stick their letter up their collective rectums!! Bet the BBC will report it large.

  5. Terry Davies January 8, 2016 at 7:29 pm - Reply

    bruce keog is a disaster waiting to happen.

  6. shaun January 8, 2016 at 9:36 pm - Reply

    As most negotiations require parties to them to make promises to do certain things, which have been agreed. Hunt’s behaviour could well make talks meaningless – how could the junior doctors trust him to do what he’d promised to do, or at the very least not to distort the meaning of what he’d agreed to?. once the date for strike action had passed
    shaunt

  7. Dez January 9, 2016 at 11:06 pm - Reply

    Yet another Sir being called in to earn his knighthood rather than speak the unbiased truth. Whitehall officials would these be the legit government officials or the paid for unelected spinning mouth pieces attached to their leaders doing their so called thinking for them or spewing out their never ending spin.

  8. John Gaines January 11, 2016 at 9:48 am - Reply

    Only a fool wood believe a word out of the mouth of Jezza Runt, this creep made the so called CULTURE Dept a laughing stock; never have we had less CULTURE and more slippery dealings than when The Runt was licking up to Pie in the face Murdoch, the Worlds’ most notorious phone tapper.

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