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» Monday, April 24, 2006

NHS

Asked about the problem of public perception of the National Health Service, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (PMOS) said that if you looked at the figures, which showed that people's experience of treatment in the NHS showed high levels of satisfaction, over 70%. These figures were generally accepted as accurate, since there had been a recurring theme across all polls on this issue. We should also acknowledge that people's overall perception of the NHS was different because of the messages they got about particular problems. That was a perception gap which we had to accept was there, but it was equally legitimate for us to point to the fact that there were more NHS nurses today than this time last year and there were more NHS doctors than ever before. Furthermore if you looked at the outcomes in terms of waiting lists and the number of operations those were at record highs. So in terms of actual performance, which was what it ultimately all came down to, the NHS was performing for the people it was meant to be performing for, the patients.

Briefing took place at 16:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (4)

Prime Minister’s Questions

Asked by Sky News if it was true that the Prime Minister prepared for Prime Minister's Questions wearing shorts and a T-shirt, the PMOS said that he didn't think it would be wise for him to stray into the territory that some former ambassadors had entered by discussing the attire of Prime Ministers. So his answer was that the Prime Minister was suitably attired whenever he appeared in the House of Commons.

Briefing took place at 16:00 | Read whole briefing | Comments (0)

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» Monday, April 24, 2006

NHS

Prime Minister’s Questions

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