Latest NHS News
PRIVATE CONTRACTS WASTED £300m
Andrew Lansley claims that £300m could have been saved if the NHS had carried out work done by private contractors. However, in spite of this recognition, the goverment are still committed to encouraging and increasing private provision. Go figure.
FULL STORY: THE OBSERVER
Current Issues
THE NHS WHITE PAPER
The consultation period on Andrew Lansley's NHS White Paper has begun and we will be outlining our main concerns very soon. We will also be organising a petition in opposition to the White Paper and drawing on the support of a coalition of major organisations united against the government's plans.
A selection of critical responses to the White Paper can be found here:
THE KING'S FUND: "There is a risk that NHS leaders will be distracted by organisational changes at the very time when there needs to be a single-minded focus."
POLLY TOYNBEE: "How does a patient know if they are being prescribed the best or just the cheapest treatment?"
THE NEW STATESMAN: "In spite of the rhetoric, this is another top-down reorganisation of England's health service. It is deeply flawed."
Campaigns
NHS COMMERCIALISATION
The NHS is being asked to make huge savings and yet the new government is extending a process of privatisation and commercialisation which has already wasted huge sums of money, while fragmenting and undermining the whole service. The latest example is the return of GP fundholding. Read the letter from Professor Harry Keen to the Guardian about how this policy could divert even more NHS money into the profits of private companies. Help us with our campaign to challenge the government with the evidence on NHS commercialisation.
NHS SAFETY
Competition and privatisation were brought in to improve the NHS, but after deaths in private treatment centres, privately-run out-of-hours care, and NHS hospitals distracted by costs, there is clear evidence that these reforms have adversely affected the quality of care and patient safety.
NHS ACCOUNTABILITY
Commercialisation has wasted precious public money and undermined safety, and yet private providers are not subject to the same level of accountability as NHS providers. Furthermore, NHS trusts are making decisions that affect the provision of health services - often without properly consulting patients. See the briefing from public law firm Leigh Day & Co.: Patients' Legal Challenges to Changes to the NHS.Research and Publications
WHO RUNS OUR GP SERVICES?
Is your local GP surgery actually a profit-making company? Our study of GP services has found that many have been taken over by a small number of private companies. These takeovers often occur without public consultation, while information on the quality of care they provide is difficult to find. Click on the image to find out more.
IN STITCHES
Dr Nick Edwards' account of life as an A&E doctor. Nick is a passionate believer in the NHS, and is working with us to try and protect and improve the NHS. Click on the image for more information about the book and how to order.
How much do you know about your NHS? In recognition of its 60th birthday in 2008 we produced a lively, readable guide to the NHS from its creation in 1948 to the reforms of the Blair/Brown governments. Click on the image above for order details.
