The Compassionate Society
Encyclopedia
"The Compassionate Society" is the eighth episode of the BBC
comedy series Yes Minister
and was first broadcast 23 February 1981. In this episode, the final ' Yes Minister ' is uttered by Bernard Woolley
.
is en route to work in his ministerial car. His driver, George, turns the radio on: Yesterday in Parliament is being broadcast. Hacker listens to himself being given a rough time in the House of Commons
over his alleged streamlining of National Health Service
bureaucracy. An MP
is suggesting that the Minister
has been making some creative adjustments to arrive at the reported savings. Hacker denies this and promises an independent inquiry. After the programme, George tells Hacker about St Edward's Hospital. He has heard from the Health Secretary's driver that this is a newly opened facility with 500 administrators and no patients.
At the DAA, Hacker is furious with his Permanent Secretary
, Sir Humphrey Appleby
. He insists that Sir Humphrey should not have been "juggling with the figures". In reply, the mandarin states that all the Minister requested was a reduction in them — so they were reduced. He in turn chastises the Minister for conceding a full independent inquiry. Despondent, Hacker asks Sir Humphrey if there is any way that the inquiry could be rigged. He is told that this is possible, providing that the chairman is "sound", and he suggests for the position a retired civil servant
who is hoping for a peerage
. As Sir Humphrey leaves, the Minister's Principal Private Secretary
, Bernard Woolley
arrives. First he has news for Hacker regarding some Cuba
n political refugees who have been refused entry to the UK
. Hacker bluntly responds that the government simply cannot afford them. Bernard then reports on St Edward's Hospital. It was apparently constructed at a time of government cutbacks and consequently, once it had been fully staffed with administrators and ancillary workers, there was no money available for medical services. Hacker decides to take a look at it before the press do.
Meanwhile, Sir Humphrey meets for a drink with Sir Ian Whitchurch, Permanent Secretary at the DHSS
. The latter expresses surprise at Hacker's concern over St Edward's: it is bound to have no patients because there aren't any nurses. He argues that one can't set up a hospital and start it running smoothly when there are patients around. He tells Sir Humphrey to inform his minister that this is the "run-in period". However, Sir Humphrey is concerned at the forthcoming independent inquiry and the Minister's likely course of action: he would want to close the place. Sir Ian believes that the unions
wouldn't like that — and there is one trade unionist in particular, a militant called Billy Fraser, who could prove useful in that respect.
Back in Hacker's office, the Minister lays into Sir Humphrey over NHS bureaucracy, and reads him some of the more outlandish internal memos that have been brought to his attention. He also states that in the last decade, the number of administrators has grown by 40,000 while the quantity of beds has decreased by 60,000. This amounts to an increase in expenditure of £1.5 billion. The Permanent Secretary then launches into a vigorous defence of St Edward's Hospital and attempts to justify its existence. Hacker is exasperated and demands that Sir Humphrey sacks most of its staff and uses the savings to re-open wards in other hospitals.
Later, Sir Humphrey meets with Brian Baker, a union leader who can see no reason to fight Hacker's proposal. However, he is eventually convinced that if there were an effective case put by the ancillary workers — and their action was to spread — then the civil servants could be saved as well.
Hacker visits St Edward's Hospital and Billy Fraser is among the welcoming committee. After a brief tour, the Minister insists that 300 staff must go. Fraser protests and threatens a strike
, but Hacker is unworried and tells him to go ahead.
Back at his office, the Minister is enjoying a drink with Bernard and is self-congratulatory over the outcome of his hospital visit. However, the TV news brings a shock: all of London's hospitals are to be subject to industrial action. Sir Humphrey then enters with even more bad news: the independent inquiry into the DAA is about to provide an unfavourable report. However, the inquiry's chairman is also involved with the Refugee Resettlement Committee and may reconsider if the Minister is prepared to look again at the case of the Cubans and admit 1,000 of them into the country. He quickly decides to house them in St Edward's Hospital and reinstate its workers, thus killing two birds with one stone.
in which there was only one patient: the Matron (head of nursing staff) who had fallen over some scaffolding and broken her leg."
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy series Yes Minister
Yes Minister
Yes Minister is a satirical British sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted by BBC Television between 1980–1982 and 1984, split over three seven-episode series. The sequel, Yes, Prime Minister, ran from 1986 to 1988. In total there were 38 episodes—of which all but...
and was first broadcast 23 February 1981. In this episode, the final ' Yes Minister ' is uttered by Bernard Woolley
Bernard Woolley
Sir Bernard Woolley GCB is one of the three main fictional characters of the 1980s British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. He was portrayed by Derek Fowlds.-Character:...
.
Plot
Jim HackerJames Hacker
James George Hacker, Baron Hacker of Islington, KG, PC, B. Sc. , Hon. D. C. L. was a fictional British politician. He was the Minister of the fictional Department of Administrative Affairs, and later the Prime Minister, in the 1980s British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister...
is en route to work in his ministerial car. His driver, George, turns the radio on: Yesterday in Parliament is being broadcast. Hacker listens to himself being given a rough time in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
over his alleged streamlining of National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
bureaucracy. An MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is suggesting that the Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
has been making some creative adjustments to arrive at the reported savings. Hacker denies this and promises an independent inquiry. After the programme, George tells Hacker about St Edward's Hospital. He has heard from the Health Secretary's driver that this is a newly opened facility with 500 administrators and no patients.
At the DAA, Hacker is furious with his Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
, Sir Humphrey Appleby
Humphrey Appleby
Sir Humphrey Appleby, GCB, KBE, MVO, MA , is a fictional character from the British television series Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. He was played by Sir Nigel Hawthorne. In Yes Minister, he is the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Administrative Affairs...
. He insists that Sir Humphrey should not have been "juggling with the figures". In reply, the mandarin states that all the Minister requested was a reduction in them — so they were reduced. He in turn chastises the Minister for conceding a full independent inquiry. Despondent, Hacker asks Sir Humphrey if there is any way that the inquiry could be rigged. He is told that this is possible, providing that the chairman is "sound", and he suggests for the position a retired civil servant
British Civil Service
Her Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports Her Majesty's Government - the government of the United Kingdom, composed of a Cabinet of ministers chosen by the prime minister, as well as the devolved...
who is hoping for a peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
. As Sir Humphrey leaves, the Minister's Principal Private Secretary
Principal Private Secretary
In the British Civil Service and Australian Public Service the Principal Private Secretary is the civil servant who runs a cabinet minister's private office...
, Bernard Woolley
Bernard Woolley
Sir Bernard Woolley GCB is one of the three main fictional characters of the 1980s British sitcom Yes Minister and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. He was portrayed by Derek Fowlds.-Character:...
arrives. First he has news for Hacker regarding some Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n political refugees who have been refused entry to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Hacker bluntly responds that the government simply cannot afford them. Bernard then reports on St Edward's Hospital. It was apparently constructed at a time of government cutbacks and consequently, once it had been fully staffed with administrators and ancillary workers, there was no money available for medical services. Hacker decides to take a look at it before the press do.
Meanwhile, Sir Humphrey meets for a drink with Sir Ian Whitchurch, Permanent Secretary at the DHSS
Department of Health and Social Security
The Department of Health and Social Security was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Social Services.-History:...
. The latter expresses surprise at Hacker's concern over St Edward's: it is bound to have no patients because there aren't any nurses. He argues that one can't set up a hospital and start it running smoothly when there are patients around. He tells Sir Humphrey to inform his minister that this is the "run-in period". However, Sir Humphrey is concerned at the forthcoming independent inquiry and the Minister's likely course of action: he would want to close the place. Sir Ian believes that the unions
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
wouldn't like that — and there is one trade unionist in particular, a militant called Billy Fraser, who could prove useful in that respect.
Back in Hacker's office, the Minister lays into Sir Humphrey over NHS bureaucracy, and reads him some of the more outlandish internal memos that have been brought to his attention. He also states that in the last decade, the number of administrators has grown by 40,000 while the quantity of beds has decreased by 60,000. This amounts to an increase in expenditure of £1.5 billion. The Permanent Secretary then launches into a vigorous defence of St Edward's Hospital and attempts to justify its existence. Hacker is exasperated and demands that Sir Humphrey sacks most of its staff and uses the savings to re-open wards in other hospitals.
Later, Sir Humphrey meets with Brian Baker, a union leader who can see no reason to fight Hacker's proposal. However, he is eventually convinced that if there were an effective case put by the ancillary workers — and their action was to spread — then the civil servants could be saved as well.
Hacker visits St Edward's Hospital and Billy Fraser is among the welcoming committee. After a brief tour, the Minister insists that 300 staff must go. Fraser protests and threatens a strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
, but Hacker is unworried and tells him to go ahead.
Back at his office, the Minister is enjoying a drink with Bernard and is self-congratulatory over the outcome of his hospital visit. However, the TV news brings a shock: all of London's hospitals are to be subject to industrial action. Sir Humphrey then enters with even more bad news: the independent inquiry into the DAA is about to provide an unfavourable report. However, the inquiry's chairman is also involved with the Refugee Resettlement Committee and may reconsider if the Minister is prepared to look again at the case of the Cubans and admit 1,000 of them into the country. He quickly decides to house them in St Edward's Hospital and reinstate its workers, thus killing two birds with one stone.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Paul Eddington Paul Eddington Paul Eddington CBE was an English actor best known for his appearances in popular television sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s: The Good Life, Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.-Early life:... |
Jim Hacker |
| Nigel Hawthorne Nigel Hawthorne Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne, CBE was an English actor, perhaps best remembered for his role as Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Permanent Secretary in the 1980s sitcom Yes Minister and the Cabinet Secretary in its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister. For this role he won four BAFTA Awards during the 1980s in the... |
Sir Humphrey Appleby |
| Derek Fowlds Derek Fowlds Derek Fowlds is an English actor, known for playing Bernard Woolley in popular British television comedies Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister and Oscar Blaketon in the long-running ITV police drama Heartbeat.... |
Bernard Woolley |
| John Barron John Barron (actor) John Barron was an English actor.-Biography:Born in Marylebone, London, Barron was interested in acting from an early age. For his 18th birthday his godfather paid his entry fee to RADA. After serving as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, he returned to stage acting... |
Sir Ian Whitchurch |
| Norman Bird Norman Bird Norman Bird was a British character actor. Often sporting a moustache and an air of worried resignation, he seemed to specialise in downtrodden roles... |
Brian Baker |
| Rosemary Frankau | Mrs Rogers |
| Stephen Tate Stephen Tate -Television credits:He is possibly best known for his recurring role as Alan in the 1970s television drama Survivors.His other credits include: Z-Cars, The Onedin Line, Blake's 7, Yes Minister, The Black Adder, Boon, The Bill, Minder, Cardiac Arrest, Silent Witness and Emmerdale.-Musical... |
Billy Fraser |
| Arthur Cox Arthur Cox Arthur Cox , is a British actor of television and film.His most regular role was as George, the driver of Jim Hacker in the comedy Yes Minister. His other television credits include The Avengers, Terry and June, and Harbour Lights... |
George |
| Lindy Alexander | BBC Reporter |
| Robert Dougall Robert Dougall Robert Dougall MBE was a British broadcaster and ornithologist, mainly known as a newsreader and announcer.-Television news:... |
BBC Newsreader |
Real-world issues
Although it was written from the imaginations of Lynn and Jay, they later discovered that "there were six such hospitals (or very large empty wings of hospitals) exactly as we had described them in our episode, notably one in CambridgeshireCambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
in which there was only one patient: the Matron (head of nursing staff) who had fallen over some scaffolding and broken her leg."