The health secretary’s remarks have made me livid and confused

I find myself a curious combination of both livid and confused.

We in the Civil Society Group, with the great leadership of the NCVO and Acevo, have been working really hard on our side of the covenant (essentially the ‘contract’ between the state and our sector which, in the words of both the Prime Minister and the culture secretary, is supposed to ‘reset the relationship’).

And I’m really proud of what we’ve done.

But I’ve started to have doubts about its efficacy, mainly because so far we can’t see any evidence that the other half of the relationship, ie the state, in the form of national and local, and delivery agencies such as integrated care boards etc, has been feeding in to it at all. But I was determined to reserve judgement.

However, I’m now fairly convinced that we’ve been wasting our time since I heard the egregious remarks by Wes Streeting, the health secretary, about the relationship between the state and charities.

A leaked video showed him referring specifically to the Royal Osteoporosis Society but, in my view, it was a broadside sweep at all charities.

Of course, he feathered his remarks by initially praising the ROS – but then went on to say what he really thought.

The thing that angered me the most was the remark that we’re not ‘partners’, we’re merely ‘stakeholders’.

It’s at this point, if the editor of Third Sector would let me (which he won’t, because there would be letters!), I would be dropping expletives like sprinkling sugar on a cake!

What absolutely staggered me was the complete lack of understanding about how the NHS is so utterly reliant on the work of charities.

For whatever reason you want to posit, the reality is that the state fails miserably to support its citizens in many areas of health provision – disability services, mental health, women’s health, trans people’s health, post-operative support, end-of-life care, appropriate facilities, specialised medical equipment… to name but a few.

And it is good citizens, through charities, who step up to fill the gap, by volunteering, providing funds and delivering the actual services which the state can’t or isn’t.

On top of all that, the Prime Minister and the DCMS minister have both said that we should campaign and tell them when we think they’ve got it wrong.

Which is why I’m confused. Did the health secretary not get the memo?

I say this over and over again and I will keep on saying it. Charities are neither a nice-to-have nor a nuisance.

Many of us provide absolutely critical services which support both our citizens and, by extension, our economy.

If you don’t want us, all you have to do is do the job that we do – or prevent us being needed in the first place. Simples!

But until you can achieve that, I’d advise against really pissing off those organisations that the state relies on by making dickish remarks that only serve to alienate those who are helping you!

This article was originally written for Third Sector.

Want to influence policy and politicians?

Our Speed Read on Campaigning is here to introduce you to the world of campaigning for a charity’s cause and mission. This short guide by Jay Kennedy, DSC’s Director of Policy and Research, will take you through the ins and outs of charity campaigning, you’ll discover the process behind persuading politicians to adopt a particular policy line, or changing a law. Order your copy here.