Surgeon appointed as minister

Story from BBC NEWS:
/6254724.stm

Published: 2007/06/29 15:11:44 GMT

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has appointed a practising surgeon as a minister
at the Department of Health.
Professor Sir Ara Darzi, who is charged with improving patient care, has been
promoted from his previous role as National Advisor on surgery.
Sir Ara, chair of surgery at Imperial College London, supports government
plans to reconfigure NHS services.
When he took over as prime minister, Mr Brown said he planned a broad-based
government of "all the talents".

My working life has, is and will continue to be centred on patient care
Sir Ara Darzi

But the Conservatives have criticised the appointment, accusing Sir Ara of
having a poor record of supporting access to services for patients and
rubber-stamping the demands of the Department of Health.
In a report published earlier this year Sir Ara said 80% of operations should
be carried out on patients in their local area, with the remaining complex
cases undertaken at specialist centres by highly skilled surgeons.
Ministers have already embarked on a policy of reconfiguring services along
these lines – leading to controversial decisions about individual NHS units
which have been bitterly opposed by critics.
Sir Ara will combine his ministerial duties with his research and clinical
commitments, including the supervision of students.
Sir Ara, 47, said: "It is a great honour and privilege to be asked by the
Prime Minister to continue that work for patients across the country.
"I will be working closely with Alan Johnson to map out the next steps of the
reform agenda that has achieved so much in the last 10 years. But we can do
better."
Frontline experience
He said he would draw on his experience from the frontline to fulfil his new
responsibilities.
"I am not a politician by profession. My working life has, is and will
continue to be centred on patient care."
Sir Ara is internationally respected for his innovative work in the
advancement of minimal invasive surgery and in the development and use
of allied technologies including surgical robots and image-guided
surgery.
Dr Jonathan Fielden, chair of the BMA’s consultants’ committee, said: "Having
a focus on improving patient care is a positive step forward.
"We will be looking forward to him listening to our concerns and working
closely with him to ensure that the concerns of the profession and the public
are utilised to improve patient care."
Mr Bernard Ribeiro, President of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: "I am
delighted that a practising surgeon, who deals with patients on a regular
basis, has decided to take such a high position.
"It is an opportunity for government to engage directly with the profession."

The prime minister’s spokesman said Professor Darzi would work Monday
to Thursday as a minister – being paid for three days – and continue
to work as an NHS surgeon, unpaid, on Fridays.
Any income from his international private practice will be paid direct to
Imperial College to fund research, the spokesman said.