Category: NHS England

We Won’t stand for ‘Slash and Trash’ warns Hands Off Hinchingbrooke Chair

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Cambs and Pboro CCG logo

The Clinical Commissioning Group has announced that “a radical shake-up of future healthcare provision across the county which is due to be published at the end of this month” as part of its Sustainability Transformation Programme (STP).

STP was introduced by Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England. Before being appointed, he had previously spent 10 years working for United Health, the biggest private health insurance in the USA. One of his roles there was to export American-style private healthcare insurance into other countries. He has not been appointed here to support publically-funded, publically-provided, publically-accountable health service. STP only applies to England as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have rejected many aspects of privatisation.

STP has already been proposed in other parts of England where it has been called ‘slash, trash and plunder’. Slash the already meagre health and social care budget. Trash the existing highly regarded services and close them down, and plunder the valuable hospital land assets and sell them off.

In Darlington the proposal to downgrade their hospital A&E, maternity and paediatric services has resulted in a public outcry across the political divide. If a similar plan is announced for Hinchingbrooke Hospital we hope that the public and local politicians will join together to oppose these plans.

Lorna Mansbridge

Chair

Hands Off Hinchingbrooke

 

Ten Minute Rule Bill – NHS Reinstatement Bill

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On Wednesday, 13th July 2016, immediately after Prime Minister’s Questions around 12.30 p.m, Margaret Greenwood, MP for Wirral West, will try to table the NHS Reinstatement Bill as a cross-party Ten Minute Rule Bill

 

She will have 10 minutes to speak in favour of the Bill, one other MP can speak for 10 minutes against it, and then it will be put to the vote. If the vote is won, it will go forward for a second reading. It will be behind many other Bills and so will not become law in this session of Parliament – but it will help in building support outside Parliament and in keeping the pressure on MPs.

 

The privatisation of the NHS in England will continue until we have a law to stop it, so please ask your MP for them attend the debate and to support the Bill.

 

NB: If your MP doesn’t to support this Bill on the usual grounds that the 2014 Commonwealth Fund found that the NHS was the most effective and efficient health service in the world – that data is almost all from before the stealth-privatising 2012 Health and Social Care Act took effect in 2013.

NHS

NHS cuts, privatisation and fragmentation continue. New legislation is needed to stop and reverse the damage

 

These cuts and changes are being carried out across England under Simon Stevens’ 5 Year Forward View. Where they are further advanced, they are bringing disaster in their wake.

The NHS in England is being dismantled. Only a change to the law can stop the damage.

Now more than ever.

To reverse the damage, the NHS must be reinstated in a civilised form that restores it to full public ownership, management and funding, with a duty on the Secretary of State to provide a comprehensive, universal health service that is free at the point of need and based on patients’ clinical needs.

The BMA reiterates its overwhelming support for the Bill

On Thursday 23rd June 2016, the British Medical Association voted overwhelmingly to continue supporting the Bill. You can watch the debate at its Annual Representative Meeting here (click on ‘Motions Arising From ARM’ in the right hand box, it will start at at 2 hrs 47 mins)

Therefore we urge you to contact your MP and ask them to attend the House of Commons debate on 13th July and support the Bill so it can go forward to a second reading. Please tell them why this is important to you.

There is more related information from the NHS Reinstatement Bill Campaign Group here; and here the Bill’s main author, Professor Allyson Pollock,  analyses the NHS crisis and appropriate responses to it.

Tell your local press and MP

Please use the local press letter and edit to send to your local press and MP.

NHS Bill Letter guide for public and suggested draft local press letter 

If you work in the NHS we have a letter guide NHS employees and suggested draft local press letter for NHS employees