Out goes Griffiths, In comes Professor Drakeford

The Professor of Social Policy has been given - "The Daunting Job of sorting out the Health Service" - poor dab !

I was so excited at the untimely departure of Leslie Griffiths that I hardly noticed that her job was given to a man who - allegedly - knows something about Health. Apparently, this mild-mannered Assembly member for Cardiff West had previously served as Chairman of the Health and Social Services committee, albeit that I haven't met a soul who's ever heard of him, much less seen him in action ( as it were ).  Surely, that was insignificant compared to the sacking of the incompetent La Griffiths, after all only Christmas has brought nearly as much pleasure to the millions of down-trodden public and patients, who had been forced to swallow the Dear Lady's B.S. ( business ststistics, of course - yeah right ).

Unfortunately, the champers began to sour when I read more of the history of the virgin Minister.  As Churchill said, "he appears to be a modest man with much to be modest about".  Reading Julia McWatt's interview with the Prof., it becomes perfectly clear that he will do nothing to stop the complete destruction of the NHS in Wales, even if the end-of-year results prove better than predicted by so many ill-informed 'guessers'.  He believed his job was to "see through controversial reforms (?) to the NHS across the country - "My job ios to see it through and bring it to a conclusion.  This is a high priority to me and a difficult message to get across"  Is he kidding ???? Impossible message would be more accurate, but it is the government's continuing hard line which will make the Prof''s job that of an obedient puppet.

He continues, "People now need to know to know what the end of this is going to be. Not everybody will be happy - ( surely he means nobody will be happy ) - but it's important that they have that understanding."  Then he dutifully admits that La Griff made clear the importance of working to the budget ( whatever that is supposed to be, apart from a secret ).

Briilliantly, he concludes with the banal statement that - with only a few days of the financial year left - he will be be more concerned to look at what happens next year.  Well, there's an original thought, except that we have no idea what has happened during previous years, so how he is to determine the future remains a complete mystery to us all, as well.  If past performances are anything to go by, it'll take the new Minister at least a year to establish any history or why the need for change was ever considered necessary.

As you can probably tell, I am not brimming with confidence that Mark Drakeford will be allowed original thought, or that he will achieve anything of actual benefit to the public and patients of NHS Wales - Ho Hum !      R.W.