Huge implications of Tories’ NHS proposals
The Health and Social Care Bill recently voted on in the Commons is not what it appears to be.
It is, in fact, a disaster for our NHS.
It is the most pernicious bill against the NHS since its inception.
The NHS would be broken up into 42 ‘Integrated Care Systems’ (ICSs) each with a separate budget and the power to decide which services to provide.
This would mark the end of a National Health Service, sets up a postcode lottery for care, and will lead to growing health inequalities.
If approved The Health and Social Care
Bill will allow ICSs to include private companies on their boards, where they will make decisions about which services to provide, who provides them and where.
Around 200 firms, including dozens of US health insurance companies and their suppliers, are already on approved lists, ready to help develop and run services for ICSs and there are no limitations to the amount of private company people who can be on each ICS board so effectively private companies could take over the ICSs boards to steer healthcare in the direction that is beneficial to them.
There are a number of reasons why these plans are very bad news for our NHS:
W More opportunities for firms to take profits from the NHS, leaving less money for patient services
W More companies given access to confidential patient information, with no clear protection for patient privacy
W More digital services, creating a two-tier health service, depending on whether you have or lack access to computers or a smart phone
W Fewer face to face appointments with
GPs, and less chance of seeing the same health worker
W More patient care given by less qualified (cheaper) staff, directed by computers and manuals
W Growing expectation that patients will
‘self care’, using phone apps or websites for advice or information
W More risk that services will be cut or rationed, and non-urgent referrals to hospital delayed or refused because of pressure on ICSs to make savings
W Faster discharge from hospital, with family carers expected to take on more unpaid care due to lack of community ser vices
It is interesting to note that both Theresa May and Adam Afriyie voted in approval for the bill on Monday, November 22.
The bill is now in the House of Lords and is scheduled for debate on Tuesday, December 7.
If you wish to sign a petition to the House of Lords to ask them to protect our NHS you can sign on the following website https://bit.ly/Lords-protect-our-NHS
The other website for information is www.keepournhspublic.com
Our NHS needs us to fight for it to remain a comprehensive health service that is available to all, publicly funded, publicly accountable, and free at the point of use with clinicians able to focus on the patient, their condition and the best available treatment.
It's up to us to make a stand for our NHS. I hope you will meet the challenge, if we lose our NHS we will all be in very serious trouble.
ALISON HERSEY Milton Close
Hor ton