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

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