Introduction
Welcome to this website. This site has been launched as a direct response to the ConLibDem plans for the NHS in England contained in the White Paper: Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS. The proposals have now found their way into The Health and Social Care Bill, that received its First Reading in Parliament on 19 January 2011. The Second Reading is due on 31 January 2011. You can track the Bill through Parliament here Although it would be nice to see the Bill fail to progress or, at the very least, significantly changed.
Although the general public do not as yet appear to have appreciated the full implications of the proposals for our NHS, many others are beginning to do so. Disquiet is coming from variety of quarters - not just the usual suspects. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), for instance, has warned that 'the scale and speed of reforms pose a significant risk to the future of the NHS in England.' The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) has also cautioned that the proposals will 'perpetuate the weaknesses' of the current system. Lesley Mercer from the CSP adds that 'the proposals represent the biggest gamble with the nation's health and taxpayer's money that we have seen.' Even the British Medical Association (BMA) 'questions the wisdom of extensive reforms that will further widen the purchaser-provider split and increase commercialisation of the NHS, especially given the current climate.' Moreover, many doctors, according to a BBC poll, are not convinced that the proposals will result in improvements for patients. The latest position is that the BMA has voted in favour of the Health and Social Care Bill (and therefore the proposed reforms) to be withdrawn. This comes just after LibDems have voted overwhelmingly against the plans for the NHS at their spring conference in Sheffield.
The Government argues that the reforms will produce improved standards of care for patients and to give clinicians more power to decide how best to deliver services. These improvements have to be delivered against a background of financial cuts. Contrary to assurances previously given, the NHS has not been protected from spending cuts. In reality, clinicians are not being empowered. General Practitioners are being given power and money and it will be those doctors who have no qualms about taking what is on offer that will benefit most. Most GPs do not have the skills needed for large scale commissioning and so will need to engage others to do so. This is likely to be mean lucrative contracts for private agencies. Many in the private sector are no doubt 'rubbing their hands with glee' at the prospect of getting in on the act. A questioner ringing in to Radio 4's PM programme recently asked Andrew Lansley what is to stop GPs who have made savings from pocketing some of the cash. Andrew Lansley stated it was possible to do so under the new arrangements. Well, that may or may not be so, but the new Bill appears to provide the opportunity for a GP Consortium to be awarded bonuses by the Commissioning Board - if in the Board's opinion, the consortium has been judged to have performed well that year. What's more, the consortium can, in turn, distribute such payments that it receives among its members in such proportions it considers appropriate! It looks like some people will stand to make a lot of money under these reforms, even if only a fraction of the planned £20 billion of savings are achieved!!
Apart from allowing the Government to be able to deflect blame to the local GP Consortium when things go wrong in the NHS or where there are insufficient local resources to pay for drugs/treatments, the proposals pave the way for privatisation of our NHS and enable a dismantling of national pay bargaining structures as well as to reduce the terms of conditions and pensions of NHS workers. Those who believe these policies are fundamentally wrong have a relatively short window in which to oppose them and save our NHS.
This website aims to bring together some advice, information and useful links for those who wish to play a part in this important campaign.
DiSCLAIMER
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. Every effort is made to keep information up to date and correct. However, no representations or warranties of any kind are given, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. The information is no substitute for seeking appropriate professional advice. The inclusion of any links to other websites does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
|
