Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers

David Cameron told parliament today that “you now see the Royal College of GPs, the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Nurses all supporting our health reforms” – a claim at odds with reality that was met with incredulity.

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As Ed Miliband said, only yesterday, in a letter (£) to the Times, Dr Hamish Meldrum (BMA chair), Dr Peter Carter (RCN), Dr Clare Gerada (Royal College of GPs), Prof Cathy Warwick (Royal College of Midwives), Prof Sue Bailey (Royal College of Psychiatrists), Phil Gray (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy), and Peggy Frost (British Association of Occupational Therapists) warned the health bill would “destabilise” the NHS.

They wrote (£):

“Though the language may have changed, the government remains committed to opening up the NHS further to market forces as a priority. Without building in appropriate safeguards, extending choice to any qualified provider risks seriously destabilising existing, mainly NHS, providers and making it much harder to develop the integrated care patients want and need.

“We share a number of more detailed concerns, including: the removal of the private patient income cap; ‘bonus’ payments to clinical commissioning groups, and the need for further reassurances over the Secretary of State’s responsibility to provide a comprehensive health service.”

Furthermore, last Friday, the RCN expressed “continued fears over the role of competition, the lifting of the private income cap and a number of other issues”; chief executive and general secretary Dr Carter said:

“At a time when the NHS needs to find £20 billion in efficiencies, tackle waste, work harder to prevent ill health and deal with an aging population, we are telling MPs that this Bill risks creating a new and expensive bureaucracy and fragmenting care.

“This fragmentation risks making inequalities worse, and preventing health providers from collaborating in the interests of patients. We must avoid a situation where existing NHS providers are left with expensive areas of care while private providers are able to ‘cherry pick’ the services which can be delivered easily.”

Health professionals and organisations which care about the NHS have long opposed the reforms – with the most enthusiastic supporters including wealthy bankers, privatisation fanatics, Freemason enthusiasts and anti-NHS extremists who describe the NHS as a “Stalinist, nationalised abhorrence”.

This is, of course, not the first time the government has grossly exaggerated the level of support for its reforms. In February, Number 10 claimed the organisations “broadly supportive of the reforms” were the King’s Fund, NHS Alliance, NHS Confederation, Royal College of GPs, and The Nuffield Trust – all of whom had grave doubts.

As Miliband said:

“I think he’s convinced the country’s he is on another planet from them, he’s on another planet.”

http://twitter.com/trisharvey82/status/111423476555988992 Tristan Harvey

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/q8xb8Oi
http://twitter.com/alexsmithnp/status/111423704730312704 Alex Smith

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers: http://t.co/GH8jb5g by @ShamikDas #PMQs #NHS #SaveOurNHS #SaveTheNHS
http://twitter.com/benfurber/status/111424645563027456 Ben Furber

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/8Uqqh58
http://twitter.com/thedancingflea/status/111424951961133057 Claire Spencer

Quick work from @leftfootfwd -as @Ed_Miliband said, David Cameron was wrong to claim support for NHS reforms: http://s.coop/5ixl #savetheNHS
http://twitter.com/hhaylo/status/111425092650663936 Hayley

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/T2a7mFQ
http://twitter.com/bill_bold/status/111426200450236417 bill bold

Quick work from @leftfootfwd -as @Ed_Miliband said, David Cameron was wrong to claim support for NHS reforms: http://s.coop/5ixl #savetheNHS
http://twitter.com/fauxpaschick/status/111426313159589888 fauxpaschick

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers: http://t.co/GH8jb5g by @ShamikDas #PMQs #NHS #SaveOurNHS #SaveTheNHS
http://twitter.com/jamesmills1984/status/111426316888317952 James Mills

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/8Uqqh58
http://twitter.com/therightarticle/status/111426521570361346 Michael

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers l Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/MJP2uYc
http://twitter.com/purbeckpashmina/status/111427253249908736 Purbeck Pashmina

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers l Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/MJP2uYc
http://twitter.com/e_lisney/status/111428222830383104 eleanor

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers l Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/MJP2uYc
http://twitter.com/nurseypws/status/111429951516979200 phil schneider

RT Cameron does live in cookcoo land"@UNISONOurNHS: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/Aqr6GZS"
http://twitter.com/feminist_inti/status/111430245885816832 feminister

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers l Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/MJP2uYc
http://twitter.com/andrew2186/status/111430263912923136 Andrew

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers: http://t.co/GH8jb5g by @ShamikDas #PMQs #NHS #SaveOurNHS #SaveTheNHS
http://twitter.com/kindjourneys/status/111430979150819328 Elly M

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers: http://t.co/GH8jb5g by @ShamikDas #PMQs #NHS #SaveOurNHS #SaveTheNHS
http://twitter.com/bhlabour/status/111432038938185728 brightonhovelabour

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/Z05zmJQ #saveournhs #bhlabour
http://twitter.com/davidfkent/status/111432458267934722 David Kent

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/uUdNkEV
http://twitter.com/labour52rose/status/111433646182903808 Alex Braithwaite

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/Z05zmJQ #saveournhs #bhlabour
http://twitter.com/elviera/status/111435618944430080 Valerie Burnett

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/RYKsFCA
http://twitter.com/drstevenhanson/status/111439142646321152 Steven Hanson

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers: http://t.co/GH8jb5g by @ShamikDas #PMQs #NHS #SaveOurNHS #SaveTheNHS
http://twitter.com/creativecrip/status/111440102114332672 TheCreativeCrip

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers l Left Foot Forward – http://t.co/MJP2uYc
http://twitter.com/gemmatumelty/status/111441710118211584 Gemma Tumelty

Cameron misleading the house about the support for the Health and Social Care bill! http://t.co/F2I3XrW
http://twitter.com/gemmatumelty/status/111441921506942976 Gemma Tumelty

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/GMbM48f
http://twitter.com/alice_hood/status/111442505798651905 Alice Hood

Cameron misleading the house about the support for the Health and Social Care bill! http://t.co/F2I3XrW
http://twitter.com/unitonehifi/status/111445282536964097 chris star

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers
http://j.mp/oOcSLx
#savethenhs #saveournhs #NHS
http://twitter.com/nhs_alert/status/111445564788449280 NHS Alert

Cameron misleading the house about the support for the Health and Social Care bill! http://t.co/F2I3XrW
http://twitter.com/neilrfoster/status/111445777271881730 neilrfoster

Cameron misleading the house about the support for the Health and Social Care bill! http://t.co/F2I3XrW
http://twitter.com/vince1905/status/111452087942000641 Vince

Cameron misleading the house about the support for the Health and Social Care bill! http://t.co/F2I3XrW
http://twitter.com/lansburyslido/status/111457046104260609 Lansbury’s Lido

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers
http://j.mp/oOcSLx
#savethenhs #saveournhs #NHS
http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2011/09/the-health-and-social-care-bill-%e2%80%93-still-a-toxic-mess/ The Health and Social Care Bill – still a toxic mess | ToUChstone blog: A public policy blog from the TUC

[...] continues to claim they have the support of health bodies – David Cameron repeated this line at PMQs today. But the evidence all points in the opposite direction: to massive concern and opposition from [...]
http://twitter.com/dianehain/status/111460472603148288 Diane Hain

Cameron misleading the house about the support for the Health and Social Care bill! http://t.co/F2I3XrW
http://twitter.com/forjbh/status/111460923063017472 John Briggs Hully

@bengoldacre And not just the RCGP http://t.co/8UOgyxF
http://twitter.com/lucyrigby/status/111461160917794817 Lucy Rigby

Hope Cameron is fact-checked on all he said today. So much of it rang untrue // @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list … http://t.co/JvNZbuD
http://twitter.com/tigercat1/status/111470476055937024 tigercat1

Cameron misleading the house about the support for the Health and Social Care bill! http://t.co/F2I3XrW
http://www.catch21.co.uk/2011/09/im-just-going-to-give-up-pmq-highlights “I’m just going to give up?”- PMQ highlights | Catch21 Productions

[...] Labour is “scared of elections” but soon Miliband scored a point when claiming that the PM is “off the planet” in his belief that the medical community and public are behind him on his NHS [...]
http://@guppikb Guppi Bola

Does this help? http://www.whosupportsthenhsreforms.co.uk
http://twitter.com/tom_earnshaw/status/111480420759126017 Tom Earnshaw

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/QZWAn1A our Prime Minister is a moron
lastname

Whereas Cameron oversimplified the positions of the Royal College of GP’s, of Nurses and of Physicians it is incorrect to say they are opposed to the Bill.

http://fullfact.org/factchecks/nhs_reforms_david_cameron_prime_ministers_questions_rcgp_support-2958

While all welcome aspects of the reforms and changes to the bill that were made as a result of the listening exercise, all three also express concerns about parts of the plan.
Josh C

I was sat in the staff room of the hospital I work for having my lunch, along with about a dozen others, whilst listening to PMQs on the radio. When Cameron claimed that NHS staff support his policy the entire room burst into laughter. A doctor commented “The man is deranged.” and then the comments after that got steady more angry and unprintable.

When they railroad this bill through they’ll see exactly how little support they have in the NHS when we flood London with protestors.
http://twitter.com/dean_sheffield/status/111516699689369600 Dean Bingham

RT Cameron does live in cookcoo land"@UNISONOurNHS: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/Aqr6GZS"
Dave Citizen

Good on you Josh – I don’t know who Cameron thinks he is. I know most of our senior politicians are trained laywers of one kind or t’other and so can be forgiven for not having a clue about the real world, but it’s something else when they use their smart talking advocacy skills to con the very people they are supposed to be representing. To be fair, Blair was another one!
http://twitter.com/paulrooke10/status/111771599056797697 Paul Rooke

Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/s5ULXPx #saveOURnhs #NHS #Solidarity
http://twitter.com/june4th/status/111772098942345216 Noxi

RT @paulrooke10: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/0lGhRkG #saveOURnhs #NHS #Solidarity
http://twitter.com/salardeen/status/111803210443915264 salardeen

RT @paulrooke10: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/0lGhRkG #saveOURnhs #NHS #Solidarity
http://twitter.com/yorkierosie/status/111804894142406657 #pressreform

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/OzGvsZx
http://twitter.com/jodyknow/status/111805354769256449 Jody

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/OzGvsZx
http://twitter.com/frdragonspouse/status/111807029647122432 Jill Hayward

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/OzGvsZx
http://twitter.com/virtualresistan/status/111807670293499904 VirtualResistance

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers http://t.co/OzGvsZx
http://www.youngfabians.org.uk/blog/index.php/2011/10/13/civil-society-and-the-nhs/ Civil Society and the NHS | The Young Fabian Blog

[...] the tip of the iceberg. Others who have demanded a halt to the Bill include the NHS Confederation, BMA Chair Dr Hamish Meldrum, representatives of the Royal College of Nurses, Royal College of GPs, Ro… and even The Archbishop of [...]
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/124608957678493696 Shamik Das

Everyone else, of course, doctors, nurses, patients, professionals, do not back Lansley: http://t.co/UmJj00tV & http://t.co/0fhwdZyD #BBCQT
http://twitter.com/samtarry/status/124610584003092480 Samuel Tarry

RT @shamikdas: Everyone else, of course, doctors, nurses, patients… do not back Lansley: http://t.co/YH3CBy7G & http://t.co/uSgPjuDH
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/10/ed-miliband-david-cameron-prime-ministers-questions-pmqs-19-10-11/ Why is Cameron repeating his job creation lies? | Left Foot Forward

[...] Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers – Shamik Das, September 7th [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/11/sign-my-petition-to-drop-lansleys-monster/ Sign my petition to drop ‘Lansley’s monster’ | Left Foot Forward

[...] Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers – Shamik Das, September 7th 2011 Share | Permalink | Comments: [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/11/osborne-actually-52-times-more-privileged-than-miliband-claimed/ Osborne actually 52 times more privileged than Miliband claimed | Left Foot Forward

[...] Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers – Shamik Das, September 7th [...]
http://twitter.com/c_a_jonestechno/status/162147513929961472 CAROLE JONES

Cam repeating his fantasy that people who care abt the NHS back his regressive reforms: http://t.co/Ebh6WZyV #PMQs
http://twitter.com/seusssl/status/162151510875189248 seuss

Cam repeating his fantasy that people who care abt the NHS back his regressive reforms: http://t.co/Ebh6WZyV #PMQs
http://twitter.com/macinpoole/status/162215949376823297 malcolm

Cam repeating his fantasy that people who care abt the NHS back his regressive reforms: http://t.co/Ebh6WZyV #PMQs
http://twitter.com/nhsspy/status/164683845487165440 Watching You

On that list of people who are against the NHS bill, remember that Cameron thinks they all support him: http://t.co/Ebh6WZyV #PMQs
http://twitter.com/simonbarrow/status/164684311147200512 Simon Barrow

On that list of people who are against the NHS bill, remember that Cameron thinks they all support him: http://t.co/Ebh6WZyV #PMQs
http://twitter.com/davidschoibl/status/164691525467516928 davidschoibl

On that list of people who are against the NHS bill, remember that Cameron thinks they all support him: http://t.co/Ebh6WZyV #PMQs
http://twitter.com/berneeclarke/status/164694560516227072 Bernard Clarke

On that list of people who are against the NHS bill, remember that Cameron thinks they all support him: http://t.co/Ebh6WZyV #PMQs
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/02/gp-in-david-camerons-constituency-nobody-supports-the-nhs-changes/ GP in Cameron’s constituency: “Nobody supports the NHS changes” | Left Foot Forward

[...] Cameron’s fantasy list of NHS reform backers – Shamik Das, September 7th [...]
http://twitter.com/bungledinho/status/164697718734848000 Bryan SWFC

On that list of people who are against the NHS bill, remember that Cameron thinks they all support him: http://t.co/Ebh6WZyV #PMQs
http://twitter.com/alasdairbain/status/164700089070272512 Alasdair Bain

On that list of people who are against the NHS bill, remember that Cameron thinks they all support him: http://t.co/Ebh6WZyV #PMQs
http://twitter.com/troywatts1/status/165008687335866368 Troy Watts

On that list of people who are against the NHS bill, remember that Cameron thinks they all support him: http://t.co/Ebh6WZyV #PMQs
http://twitter.com/fergusonkeith/status/172292532988936195 keith ferguson

Cameron likes claiming support from people who don't like him: http://t.co/3nWT36Kp
http://twitter.com/sammaloneuk/status/172295807301726208 Sam Malone

Cameron likes claiming support from people who don't like him: http://t.co/3nWT36Kp
http://twitter.com/durhamcub/status/172308293891530753 Martin Steel

Cameron likes claiming support from people who don't like him: http://t.co/3nWT36Kp