Ralph Little calls out Jeremy Hunt’s “BULLSHIT” NHS claims.
Most people know actor and writer Ralph Little as the unassuming Antony Royle in The Royle Family and Jonny Keogh in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.
But in a Twitter spat with health secretary Jeremy Hunt, a clearly peeved Little stepped in to the role of political activist as he called out Hunt’s “lies” over some dubious NHS statistics.
It all started with this tweet from Little, calling Hunt out after an appearance on BBC’s Andrew Marr show;
This is what it looks like when a man goes on TV and knowingly lies to the public. If I’m wrong @jeremy_hunt, sue me. I double dare you. https://t.co/YvdvK98Gci
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) October 29, 2017
A few days later, the health secretary sought to give credance to his claims with a few alternative facts and figures, presumably in an attempt to bamboozle the actor (the tweet appears to have now been removed, but here it is);
Little wasn’t about to roll over and take the facts at face value so took it upon himself to dig a little deeper. What follows is an incredible 42 tweet dressing-down from Little as he meticulously picks apart Hunt’s fishy stats.
Ralph Little…We salute you!!!
(1) Firstly @Jeremy_Hunt, if you think that’s my job you seriously overestimate the responsibilities of actors. However, in response… pic.twitter.com/9ATdnAKN92
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(2) You said to find a European country that’s “done better” & “faster” than your quoted statistics. But firstly, are those stats legitimate?
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(3) REPOST with correct link…
FactCheck already proved you lied about mental health worker numbers, which you had to admit to… https://t.co/H2pqAXunoF
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(6) Also according to https://t.co/L9LHiYfJm0 we have 14% fewer mental health nurses than we did in 2010.
In real terms this amounts to 6000. Six. Thousand. FEWER. Nurses.— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(8) The future doesn’t look great either – training for new psychiatry specialists fell to only 69% of places filled this year after two rounds https://t.co/VJpUrOhhdn
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(10) Therefore an additional 4300 more “employees”, (not necessarily doctors or nurses), is JUST a 2% increase over 7 years. Meanwhile the WORKLOAD INCREASED by 28%.
In real terms, almost a crisis. It certainly looks nothing like this manifesto pledge. https://t.co/ykFYzCxZK0
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(12) Next up…
“1400 more treated every day since 2010.”
I assume you got that from this NHS Digital graph…https://t.co/6VxKZHDe7q
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(14) In addition, this figure was then confirmed UNVERIFIABLE by NHS Digital, the very people who created the graph in the first place! https://t.co/eJqUrBPseE
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(16) I don’t blame you – if no one kept a record of Oscar winners I’d be telling everyone I’ve got four. #quadrupleOscarwinner #Boom
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(18) In the REAL world, outside of graphs and stats, that’s an important distinction that someone in your position really should be aware of.
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(20) In terms of patient experience and care, that’s a HUGE difference.
To reword this statistic from “in contact with” to “treated” is horribly inaccurate, misleading, and simply NOT THE REAL TRUTH.
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(23) “2700 more employed in talking therapies.”
Well, I think you’re wrong, which might not surprise you.
But what might be a surprise is, I have some good news for you…
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(25) As you can see, I’m more interested in transparent discussion than mud-slinging, and happy to concede where appropriate, as in this case.
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(27) But what I CAN say, based on the real (not “alternative”) facts is the following…
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(29) Even IF the workforce has risen as you say, it is not unreasonable to attribute this to the IAPT programme which started in 2008 – under the previous government.
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(31) So to answer you succinctly, it may be difficult to categorically state we are doing “better” than other European countries, but it’s pretty straightforward to say that we are doing considerably WORSE than we were in 2010.
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(33) As I’ve demonstrated, you have a real problem with cherrypicking statistics to suit your needs. This may be acceptable in other jobs, but this is medicine, this is the NHS… this is SCIENCE.
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(35) But the fact remains that cherrypicking statistics is manipulative and damaging to public office, and to the health service. And I’m afraid the science – and the scientists – back me up, no matter how much and how loudly you protest.
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(37) Well, whilst I don’t pretend to possess even a fraction of his intellect, might I take up the offer?
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(39) Because, Mr. Hunt, no matter what you’ve said, I have to tell you, at this point pretty much no one believes that you don’t want to privatise it, either openly or on the quiet.
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(41) So let’s not call each other names – if you’re the decent sort you say you are, and often appear to be on twitter, let's have an open conversation and some transparency on the future of everyone’s healthcare.
The British public deserve it.
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
(42) Do the decent thing. I triple dare you.
<end of thread>
— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) November 13, 2017
