UK Dept. of Health: Endemic Incompetence and Corruption

It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Department of Health is afflicted by endemic incompetence and corruption. Here are just some of the articles (just on the BBC) from just the last few days.

@July 16th

Failings probed at 'worst' hospitals:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23315869

NHS failings 'being suppressed':
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23309720

Neuberger: 'Panel were hugely shocked at some stories':
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23311456

Liverpool Care Pathway 'should be phased out':
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23302539

Family anger over man's Liverpool Care Pathway death:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-21687717

Newbury widow's anger over husband's hospital death:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-21249127

@June 21st

The rotten side of the NHS:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22968167

NHS cover-up revealed:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22992625

MPs to quiz CQC bosses on 'cover-up':
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22997705

Hunt call over 'scandal of errors':
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22998570

NHS 'cover-up' unacceptable:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22949211

NHS chief denies cover-up over gagging orders:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22868913

Stafford Hospital: Police investigate 300 'neglect' deaths:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-22845570

Stafford Hospital nurses said dead woman was sleeping:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-22959510

'It was like being in prison' - Stafford Hospital nurses:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-22902627

East Midlands death rate hospital review under way:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-22952646

Death rates review under way in Lincolnshire:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-22932949

Flawed care 'leads to kidney deaths':
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22891644

CCTV captures poor standards of care:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22888472

Disabled and elderly home care: Crisis talks being held:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22883708

E-cigarettes face new restrictions:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22870301

DoH tries to kill 2.5 million

Add to this the DoH's active role in trying to kill 2.5 million UK citizens in the ongoing e-cigarette ban ('regulation') debacles*, and we can rightfully ask if we actually have any form of government at all; or if it is just a collection of incompetent, lying bunglers who are only interested in boosting their own bank accounts by helping their good friends in the pharmaceutical industry.

* Prof J Britton: "If all the smokers in Britain switched to an e-cigarette, 5 million lives would be saved just among those alive today".
This is a hypothetical situation because not all smokers will switch; however, 50% of smokers switching certainly is a realistic number - provided they are allowed access to the current full range of consumer choices (ecigs don't work unless there is a choice). The DoH's answer was to ban e-cigarettes; then, when that failed, to assist the EU to ban them, in order to protect pharmaceutical industry income.

Clearly there is no public health benefit to killing 2.5 million people - although we cannot be sure exactly what 'public health' means at the DoH. At the moment it looks as if their definition of public health is death on an industrial scale - so an ecig ban does actually accord with this.

Do we need the DoH - or do we need public health?

It is time to abolish the Dept. of Health and give the job to someone with an IQ greater than 82 and not on the pharmaceutical industry's payroll. That, or expect millions of avoidable deaths in the foreseeable future.

What next? Soylent Green?