Unleashing increased privatisation of NHS

THE recent passage through Parliament of the Health and Care Bill has received little media attention. I wonder therefore if readers are aware of the changes ahead and the potential for increased privatisation of the NHS which this Bill unleashes.

On July 1 this year, the current Clinical Commissioning Groups, of which there are over 200, will be replaced by 42 Integrated Care Boards which will make decisions about healthcare provision within their area.

There is nothing in the legislation to prevent representatives of private healthcare companies being members of these decision making boards. These companies exist to make profits for their shareholders: there is no proper place for them in our National Health Service.

But, in fact, many private companies are already embedded, to name but two, the American company AmSurg based in Nashville Tennessee is in partnership with the Yeovil District Hospital Foundation Trust, and the German company Fresenius provides kidney care in Yeovil, Frome and Bridgwater.

Most readers will have reasons to be grateful to the NHS as I have myself, my son’s life having been saved by a liver transplant.

If you want to ensure that decisions relating to provision of health care locally are not influenced by profit motives rather than what is actually best for patients, then write to Mr Paul von der Heyde, who will be the Chair of the Somerset Integrated Care Board, at Yeovil Hospital Foundation Trust. Ask Mr von der Heyde for his assurance that there will not be a representative of a private healthcare company on that board and that care will remain free to all at the point of need.

Mary Moore (retired nurse, midwife, health visitor) Somerton, Somerset