Is the same government that shunned 100 amendments to
health bill really ready to listen?
6 April 2011
Health professionals say government won't regain trust
until bill scrapped
In 14 days of committee scrutiny of the health and social care
bill, amounting to nearly 100 hours, the Conservative and Lib Dem
ministers on the bill committee colluded to see off 100 amendments
tabled to the legislation, health professionals say today
(Wednesday 6 April).
Dozens of amendments were proposed on fundamental issues,
ranging from greater public accountability to preventing the
taxpayer subsidising private providers, to ensuring that care came
before profits in the new health regulatory regime - yet every
single amendment was rejected by the government.
Now, only days after working furiously to see off any change,
except their own `tidying up' amendments, to the controversial
legislation the government is trying to convince alienated health
professionals and a sceptical public that it is listening to their
concerns.
The extent to which both parties of government were prepared to
go to avoid amending the controversial legislation calls into
question the coalition's sincerity as the prime minister and deputy
prime minister embark on the first phase of their "listening
exercise", promising to engage with health professionals
directly.
Rachael Maskell, Unite national officer representing health
professionals ranging from mental health nurses to GPs, paramedics
and pharmacists, said that no amount of government listening can
disguise the reality, which is that the bill is bad news for the
NHS: "At every stage and on every day of the bill committee, both
parties of government were implored to not go ahead with this
destructive bill. One hundred times they were asked to improve this
bill and one hundred times they said no. Are they really going to
hear and act, as well as listen, now?
"As health professionals, we need to see some sign that this
government can be trusted with our health service. Our advice must
matter more than the costly counsel of accountancy firms who know
nothing of patients' needs.
"And if the government after 'listening' ends up with GP
commissioning and consortia that will work in a similar way as the
PCTs they are about to scrap, will they apologise for wasting £3
billion of taxpayers' money and for the chaos they are creating in
the health service? How can that be in any way seen as
competent?
"Quite simply, this bill cannot be saved. In the weeks to come,
all sorts of fudges will be proposed, but if the government is
truly listening it will understand that they only way forward is to
ditch this bill and start again."
ENDS
For further information, please contact Liane Groves in the
Unite press office on 07793 661657.
