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Public Services for All > Published by Trevor Cheeseman, January 7th 2011 at 10:47 am

Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans

The NHS faces a critical year, as the Lansley reforms, now dubbed the “patchwork privatisation” of the NHS, are put before Parliament – the longest ever legislation in NHS history. It is a game-changer: “The state will be withdrawing from the day-to-day management of healthcare,” describes NHS Confederation chief Nigel Edwards, with power and accountability operating in a new regulatory environment. The NHS is to become “like a regulated industry” like telecoms, water and energy, with loosely connected organisations operating in a market.

Andrew-Lansley Against this background, a range of opposition is becoming more strident. More than 100 doctors, including 20 professors, have signed an open letter in the British Medical Journal this week, criticising the leadership of the British Medical Association, the doctors’ union:

“Now is the time to mobilise the profession and stop these damaging reforms, which will not only destroy the NHS but also profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation.”

Ex-GP and Tory MP Sarah Wollaston addressed the growing concern that the reforms will create this patchwork privatisation. Writing in The Guardian she said:

“If Lansley wants to reassure the public that his reforms will not lead to NHS privatisation, he should make it clear that GP commissioners will be liberated to choose NHS providers where they offer the best quality and comprehensive service without fear of legal challenge from private cherry-pickers.”

Left Foot Forward has previously highlighted the NHS threat from competition law to local NHS.

The chair the Royal College of GPs, Clare Gerada, who recently described the reforms as “the end of the NHS as we currently know it”, turned her fire on new plans from supermarket giant Sainsbury’s to offer free premises at up to 204 of its stores to encourage GPs to set up branch surgeries:

“Supermarkets should stick to selling fruit and vegetables. GPs would be sanctioned for selling tobacco products, alcohol and high calorie foods or advertising and selling products of limited medical value within their surgeries. Yet, supermarkets can do all of these alongside providing pharmacy and now, general practice care.

“Dealing with the sick and vulnerable needs more than a conveyer belt, quick-fix approach to healthcare delivery.”

Andrew Lansley himself is increasingly seen as vulnerable, and he is now emphasising his reform programme is evolutionary, rather than the revolution to liberate services he previously heralded. In his first major appointment, CEO of the new NHS National Commissioning Board - now the world’s largest quango - he was forced by the Treasury to appoint the existing NHS chief executive and ex-communist David Nicholson, the embodiment of “top -down management” so disparaged by Lansley earlier this year.

Lansley’s overambitious pre-election rhetoric on service changes is now back to haunt him. To take one of many examples around the country, in 2008 he signed a petition to re-open the cardiac and acute medical services at Bridlington Hospital which had been transferred to Scarborough. After a change of heart last month, he said:

“Things have moved on since then.”

The NHS reform legislation is due before Parliament on January 17th, and its passage is expected to take up much of 2011. Organised opposition is growing: besides trades unions like Unite, campaigning groups such as 38 Degrees are lining up alongside the NHS Support Federation, Socialist Health Association and Keep Our NHS Public.

The legislation will also be the next progressive test for the “non-payroll” Lib Dem MPs, whose attitude will be crucial, given there is no mandate for the reforms. John Pugh, Lib Dem parliamentary health committee chair, commented:

“It’s just implausibly silly to pretend [the NHS reforms] do not flatly contradict the coalition agreement to avoid top-down restructuring.

“This can be excused if the government can get NHS professionals to welcome the changes, or at any rate believe in them. When they don’t, the consequences for governments and patients can be fatal.”

http://twitter.com/double_karma/status/23334325961367552 Double.Karma

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans: http://bit.ly/dUXiSN
http://twitter.com/walshaw4hdngly/status/23334436770680832 Neil Walshaw

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans: http://bit.ly/dUXiSN
http://twitter.com/bridgewithout/status/23334650587910145 liliana dmitrovic

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans: http://bit.ly/dUXiSN
http://twitter.com/sianb2/status/23338994318184448 Sian Balsom

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans: http://bit.ly/dUXiSN
http://twitter.com/bevaniteellie/status/23340753644167168 Ellie Gellard

Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/jorjun/status/23341088597086208 jorjun

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/oliver_gbg/status/23342411862253568 Luke

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/jackbrockless/status/23343214647844864 Jack Brockless

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/walshaw4hdngly/status/23344149998600192 Neil Walshaw

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/mr_pukeko/status/23344817001988096 Matt Jeffs

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/merimaat/status/23345776218345472 KevT Brown

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/nataliewh/status/23346159292522496 Nat

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/khurmarshad/status/23346172642988032 Khurm

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/alexwintermute/status/23351354785271808 Alex Wintermute

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans: http://bit.ly/dUXiSN
http://twitter.com/emilymarydavis/status/23358678253969408 Emily Davis

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/vholloway/status/23359372247699456 Victoria Holloway

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/coolchiccy/status/23380270807777281 Amanda Hodgson

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans: http://bit.ly/dUXiSN
Lynne Heal

NHS must help every MS patient who requires angioplasty our lifes are in your hands.Evidence is increasing daily worldwide it does work.Positive results are thousands liberated with under 3 deaths because of stents which Dr Zamboni has NOT reccommended,no proper aftercare was given also.I did contact government in Dec and other months too.I got an e mail yesterday to say CLOSED and no more help can be given have kept it for evidence of proof.
Lynne Heal

UK requires clinical trials here in UK via radiologists to allow evidence to prove UK is moving forward in the biggest ever find for a disease, in this century which will make medical history the biggest ever breakthrough .
http://twitter.com/hako2222/status/23415638517092352 Hako Bloomfield

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans http://bit.ly/g8qHb7
http://twitter.com/andrewroche/status/23428262029955072 Andrew Roche

Just read: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans http://dlvr.it/Csgz6
Dave

This is CONDEM Collision car crash policies.
http://torylies.blogspot.com Richard Blogger

Note that with 52 “Pathfinder” GP consortia announced last year covering 1/4 of the population and the NHS Alliance saying that half of the population will be covered by the summer. And with the PCTs in “meltdown”, Lansley has already got his way. There has been no parliamentary approval for GP commissioning nor PCT abolition, but it is happening now. That is undemocratic. We have a thoroughly undemocratic government, when will people take notice?
http://twitter.com/cliffdidanelvis/status/23439657823895552 Catherine Gillies

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/johnnor/status/23455470459031552 John Nor

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/joecassels/status/23455733517393920 Joe Cassels

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/mellojonny/status/23510553339101184 jonathon tomlinson

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans: http://bit.ly/dUXiSN
http://twitter.com/shezzle0/status/23511808480382976 Shez

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans: http://bit.ly/dUXiSN
http://twitter.com/williamtheb/status/23578275351629824 williamtheb

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans: http://bit.ly/dUXiSN
http://twitter.com/ambientbuzzsaw/status/23684264671322114 Simon Hailstone

RT @BevaniteEllie: Govt plans "will not only destroy the NHS,but profoundly affect the social fabric of our nation" http://bit.ly/dUXiSN …
http://twitter.com/no2tories/status/23689810954682368 For Fox Sake

RT @leftfootfwd: Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans: http://bit.ly/dUXiSN
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[...] Opposition grows to NHS “patchwork-privatisation” plans – Trevor Cheeseman, January 7th [...]