NHS
privatisation MUST be STOPPED
The 2012
Health and Social Care Act legally promotes and enables further
privatization of the NHS, a big bad step in the process that started under
Maggie Thatcher. TTIP
is likely to lock that in place like a ratchet if implemented.
In 2016 Tory MPs obstructed full hearing and debate on the NHS
reinstatement bill put forward by Caroline Lucas MP and Labour MPs, by
deliberately using up the time available with extended monologues of "hot
air". TTIP in its present form would if implemented,
make reinstatement of the NHS subject to legal challenge by the health
industry - especially foreign and transnational corporations.
Brian Woodward and I recommend this article by a GP as a good summary of
the NHS privatisation process:
27aug16 How
the NHS is being dismantled in 10 easy steps - Youssef El
Gingihy in Voices, The Independent. - It's an excellent concise
summary - a "must read".
NEWS:
3may15 “stage
two of NHS privatisation” - Tamasin Cave of Spinwatch
in openDemocracy:
‘Why
are GPs being told to hand billions-worth of NHS decisions to private
health firms and their lobbyists?’
This is a web-page in Henry Adams' dragonfly1 web-space giving extra links
etc on NHS privatisation.
Not comprehensive on this. Just a sample. I am not an expert in this
subject but have noted these links largely passed on to me by other people
with more knowledge than me on this topic.
Allyson Pollock
is professor of public health research and policy at Queen Mary,
University of London and author of 'NHS
plc: the Privatisation of Our Health Care' (c.2005
during Labour government). Her research into the NHS includes e.g. its
privatisation and PFIs etc. http://www.allysonpollock.com/
http://www.nhsbill2015.org/
Campaign for the NHS
Reinstatement Bill 2015 Campaigning to reinstate the founding
vision of the NHS.
Other
links:
STOP
TTIP South Lakes web-page section on NHS: www.dragonfly1.plus.com/STOP-TTIP-South-Lakes.html#NHS
FILM: 'Sell-Off' - strongly recommended by several members
of STOP TTIP South Lakes: http://vimeo.com/110895709
lengthy but well worthwhile watching for its informative content. Don't
let the over-melodramatic music and film-editing put you off.
Report by New Economics Foundations (nef)
- 'The
Wrong Medicine' (pdf).
10dec14 BBC R4 'Today' reported that BMJ
stated that one-third of NHS contracts over the past 18 months have been
awarded to the private sector. Part of creeping privatisation of
the NHS. Rob Webster (pro-coalition) said that this proportion is not
reflected in the % of NHS money being allocated between public and private
sector. Dr Jacky Davis of 'NHS SOS' said private sector will take easy
services leaving harder ones for NHS itself, GPs forced to tender out
services and emphasis on cost rather than quality is detrimental. Wrong to
assume private quality is good, public bad. Private sector diverts money
via profits to shareholders and tax havens. [US private health is much
more costly and much less equitable and efficient than UK's NHS].
It's hard to get transparency and accountability from the private sector
as they hide behind "commercial confidentiality".
1dec14 'How
to take back the NHS, before it’s too late' David Owen in The
Guardian.
30nov14 '£1BILLION
NHS sell-off scandal Tory MP works for firm targeting huge health
service deal' Andrew Gregory - Mirror Online. Dr Clive Peedell has demanded Stephen Dorrell [former Health
Secretary and recently Chair of Parliamentary Select Committee on Health]
quit as either an MP or an adviser to a private firm [KPMG] targeting a
lucrative NHS contract. Christina
McAnea, Unison health union boss, added: “There is a huge conflict of
interest in this appointment. ..."
ACTION
"Tell
David Cameron to stop privatising the NHS": http://action.sumofus.org/a/circle-nhs/
The answer is to properly fund the NHS.
"Circle Holdings, the first private healthcare operator to take over an
NHS hospital trust has announced it’s pulling out of its ten-year
[Hinchingbrooke Hospital] contract. It says its franchise is ‘no longer
viable under current terms’. We know what that means: it’s no longer
making money.
Read about bullying tactics. The link links to articles on the
Hinchinbrooke case.
Link to STOP TTIP South Lakes website section on how TTIP will affect the
NHS: www.dragonfly1.plus.com/STOP-TTIP-South-Lakes.html#NHS