NHS white paper is an ‘untested, expensive Trojan Horse’ for more
privatisation, says Unite
12 July 2010
The NHS white paper is an ‘untested, expensive exercise in
political dogma’ that will herald greater privatisation of the
health service, Unite, the largest union in the country, said today
(Monday, 12 July).
Unite accused the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, of
backtracking on a Conservative pre-election pledge that there would
be no more major reorganisations of the health service, as the
white paper was unveiled.
The white paper sets out plans to handover £80 billion of the
NHS budget to GPs who will decide whether the patient is treated at
a NHS hospital; a private company, such as Bupa; or a charity with
specialist knowledge, such as Marie Curie.
Unite’s national officer for health, David Fleming, said: ”This
is an untested, expensive Trojan Horse in political dogma that will
give private companies an even greater stake in the NHS – this way
of operating has already happened in the USA.”
Unite said there were a number of questions that needed to be
answered:
- What experience have England’s 35,000 family doctors got to
undertake this vast commissioning exercise? And do they want
to?
- What training and equipment will they be given when this
new system – the biggest shake-up of the NHS since foundation in
1948 – is imposed on them?
- What will the increased transactional costs – both billing and
invoicing – cost the health service?
David Fleming said that already GPs surgeries and health centres
have contracts with third sector organisations and private
companies. This could mean that private companies getting their
hands on even more NHS money.
Said David: ”Billions of pounds - estimated to be £20 billion
annually in England – are already being squandered on the
so-called transaction costs of the market; money that could be much
better spent on frontline services.”
”Unite has serious concerns about the White Paper and there
should be a public debate on the implications of these
market-driven reforms. Why is the NHS always just one
reorganisation away from perfection?
”Before the election, the Tories promised no major
reorganisation of the health service – within three months that
pledge to the British people, the majority of whom did not vote for
further privatisation of the NHS – has been broken. So much for the
new politics.”
ENDS
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