Your NHS will die on April 1 unless YOU act now

NHSRIPBlame it on the norovirus that’s clawing it’s way through my body if you like, but I think I’m getting cold sweats at the thought of the imminent demise of whatever’s left of the English NHS.

By stealth, of course. What can we expect from the most underhanded, base and dissembling government in living memory?

Oh, I suppose you all thought it was safe because Andrew Lansley gave his assurance that creeping privatisation would only proceed where it was in the public interest.

A Tory’s idea of public interest doesn’t coincide with the dictionary definition, you know. They’re nicknamed ‘self-servatives’ for a reason.

That’s why, last Wednesday, when you and I were discussing Workfare or the new regulations for social security benefits (which are themselves almost as scandalous as the Coalition government’s treatment of the NHS), the Department of Health quietly released regulations that open England’s health service to widespread competition. ‘NHS’ will, for all intents and purposes, become a brand name beneath which private health corporations will operate – always with an eye on their profit margin.

These regulations contradict Mr Lansley’s assurances, made while he was trying to get the then-Health and Social Care Bill passed into law. But that was when he was trying to persuade public opinion to side with him; the current Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, needs no such backing – the regulations have been introduced via a little-known Parliamentary procedure known as ‘negative resolution’, meaning the new rules will not be discussed or voted on but will automatically become law on April 1.

From then on, competition will be enforced. GPs will not have flexible powers to choose the right provision for patients, despite previous assurances.

But then, those assurances came from a Parliament in which 65 members were known to have a financial interest in private healthcare providers.

All were permitted to discuss the Health and Social Care Bill as it passed through Parliament, and all were able to vote on it – even though they had a vested interest in ensuring that it was passed into law.

Nobody with such interests should be allowed to vote on any law in this country. The automatic assumption in any other branch of government is that they would be unable to provide an unbiased view. In other words, their vote would be corrupt.

I am convinced that this is the case.

I do not wish to be treated by any ‘doctor’ whose primary concern is his or her profit margin. I don’t want to be treated by any organisation whose concern for that profit margin might mean it cuts back on expenditure that is required for the treatment of patients.

And what will happen as time passes and these organisations embed themselves in the system? How long will it be before we start hearing doctors telling us that our illnesses are complicated and treatment may need to take some time – or would we like to go private? Will they then prolong that treatment anyway, in order to get as much cash from us as possible?

It’s a get-rich-quick scheme for those MPs who are shareholders in health corporations.

It’s also – in my opinion – the biggest betrayal of the national interest ever committed by a British government.

All is not yet lost. There’s not much hope but a procedure known as ‘laying a prayer’ allows MPs to annul the change, if it is made within the 40 days before the regulations become law. If enough MPs support the motion, it could be followed by a Commons debate and vote. You can email your MP by looking up his or her address at www.theyworkforyou.com (please try to sidestep the fact that the website title is turning into a blatant lie).

More likely to succeed is a call for Labour leader Ed Miliband and Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham to make a firm commitment that the new rules will be overturned and any and all contracts will be cancelled if Labour are elected into office in 2015. Mr Burnham has already committed himself to repealing the Health and Social Care Act, so this seems a distinct possibility. Their email addresses are [email protected] and [email protected]

It might also be a good idea to contact the National Health Action Party for support on this issue.

For further information and other ideas, please see the following:

http://skwalker1964.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/urgent-decisive-action-needed-vs-undemocratic-nhs-competition-rules/

http://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/nicola-cutcher-lucy-reynolds/nhs-as-we-know-it-needs-prayer

http://socialinvestigations.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/nhs-privatisation-compilation-of.html

This is urgent and immediate. Don’t think for a moment that it won’t affect you because it absolutely will. Even if you live in Scotland or Wales, what will you do if you have to go across the border for treatment?

Personally, if I have to have treatment in an English hospital after April 1, I shall demand to know whether my care will be provided by a private provider or the NHS. If it’s a private provider, I’ll refuse it and demand NHS treatment instead.

I wonder what will happen if we all do that?

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24 Comments

  1. Thomas M February 21, 2013 at 5:18 am - Reply

    It’s sacriledge (sdorry about the typo). It’s the equvilent of letting loads of invasive creatures into a national park, but much worse. I can’t get insurance,and would rather not have to pay through the nose for any health care,and with Labour destroyed, there is no left wing party left to reverse this.

  2. Smiling Carcass February 21, 2013 at 7:46 am - Reply

    Mike, your email addresses are wrong; I received a ‘permanent failure’ message when I used them, However, this one for Andy Burnham resulted in an automated response, so is correct-

    [email protected]

    This one for Ed Miliband hasn’t resulted in any response as yet, but hasn’t had a delivery failure response-

    [email protected]

    • Smiling Carcass February 21, 2013 at 7:52 am - Reply

      I have been assured by somebody the Ed Miliband email is correct as she used it two weeks ago.

      • Mike Sivier February 21, 2013 at 10:54 am - Reply

        Thanks; on this advice I have updated the original article. New readers will see the email addresses you quote, rather than those I used (from another website).

    • Muz February 22, 2013 at 8:50 pm - Reply

      You can contact your Councillors, MP, MEPs, MSPs, or
      Northern Ireland, Welsh and London AMs at http://www.writetothem.com/

  3. Ghost Whistler February 21, 2013 at 8:32 am - Reply

    What I would like (other than this government to go away and die and for these changes to be reversed) is to get some leaflets/posters with all this information on. I don’t really understand this legislation that was passed last week (which means some smartarse tory can probably run rings around me with legal bollocks), but if we can make people aware of it things might change. Those leaflets I can take and insinuate into my local dr’s surgery, either getting permission to pin them to the notice board or just put them onto the pile of magazines when noone’s looking and hope they get noticed. That way people might get to learn the truth. Time is running out!

  4. Mary Sullivan February 21, 2013 at 11:00 am - Reply

    Join Keep Our NHS Public (KONP). They will provide you with information, leaflets/posters.

  5. paul8ar February 21, 2013 at 12:36 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on paul8ar.

  6. Mr m j holt February 21, 2013 at 2:28 pm - Reply

    This government need to back off and stop messing with things like the NHS people rely on NHS for well just about everything medical and going private means that the hard up people like myself and pensioners couldn’t afford health insurance so yet again the person that promised to be more family friendly as screwing family’s over by abolishing the NHS and is stiffing pensioners too this needs to stop and now I just hope our voice is heard

  7. djmark25 February 21, 2013 at 2:57 pm - Reply

    These politically motivated statements of misinformation anger me to the core. On April 1st PCTs will be replaced by CCGs – that is the ONLY change. We’ll still have an NHS!! posting stuff like this only serves to confuse people and stir up anger.
    Next time try to gain all the facts before you post.
    Here is a simple definition of a CCG: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_commissioning_group

    • Mike Sivier February 21, 2013 at 3:09 pm - Reply

      You want to go and check your facts.
      There will indeed be an NHS in England after April 1 but it will be a brand name under which private health corporations will be operating, according to rules of competition set out by the Coalition government. They are turning our health service into a marketplace in which money – not health – is the prime objective.
      If you like the idea, fine – go and live in the USA.
      I don’t like it; I’ll fight against it, and I urge everyone with an ounce of common sense to do the same.

    • Martin S. February 21, 2013 at 4:21 pm - Reply

      @djmark “These politically motivated staements” WTF Of course this is political, the whole system is political and if the people are not informed about what this government is really doing then before we know it we with be in the same state as the USA where people DIE because they can’t pay for a doctor. Please take your “politically motivated” (PMSL) Tory comment and stick it where the sun don’t shine, Thankyou

  8. paurina February 21, 2013 at 3:30 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on paurina and commented:
    This is so important – we all need to act now.

  9. orwellwasright February 21, 2013 at 3:36 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on Orwellwasright's Weblog and commented:
    A disturbing overview of the attack on the NHS and the planned total privitization of health care in Britain, the implications of which could prove devastating,

  10. rainbowwarriorlizzie February 21, 2013 at 4:28 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on HUMAN RIGHTS & POLITICAL JOURNAL and commented:
    Urgent!! In Solidarity & Support!!

  11. mjikmanic2 February 21, 2013 at 8:06 pm - Reply

    This view might be making the case for private care being substandard, which is is not since they are expected and often do provide fantastic services. They problem is that most people dont want to pay for services, since we already dont, and that selection of the easiest patients to deal with by private companies will leave more complicated cases in a deprived nhs system that doesnt have the support services to effectively deal with this patients. In tbe move to full privatisation…if not managed properly not only will we pay for services but there may be an added cost of life due to increassd patient risk during the transition. I work in the nhs and have already seen the effects of a much reduced administrative and clinical presensce on workplace moral, and abilliry to deliver quality services across an entire hospital (many specialism…same complaints).

    • Mike Sivier February 21, 2013 at 8:44 pm - Reply

      Private care is substandard when transferred into the NHS – for precisely the reasons you state; it sucks resources away from where they are needed, harms the ability to deliver quality services and saps workplace morale.
      You refer to the move to full privatisation as though it is something that will happen. If that is what you think, then think again. The cost to the safety of the British people is too great. It must be stopped, by any means that do not place life or limb at hazard.

  12. Russ February 22, 2013 at 5:12 am - Reply

    By ‘English’ NHS do you actually mean the NHS in England? Or Britain? Some people can’t seem to tell the difference these days.

    • Mike Sivier February 22, 2013 at 10:36 am - Reply

      The NHS in England. It’s the only part of the organisation that the Coalition can directly influence (health being a devolved duty). There may be an effect on the Welsh, Scottish and NI NHS but I can’t predict what that will be, so I’m playing safe.

  13. Sheree Ellis February 22, 2013 at 3:22 pm - Reply

    This is the first time I have seen this, it’s scandalous, I feel like perhaps I have had my head in the sand, I for one cannot afford medical insurance, I used to have BUPA many years ago, and of course I was young and healthy and never actually used it. I have used our NHS unfortunately quite a lot over recent years and my health is deteriorating so cannot see this changing, it’s a terrible worry. How can a government undersell it’s own Country which is what this awful government is doing, we didn’t ask for a coalition and I believed at the time we would get to vote again, maybe bringing out people who hadn’t bothered to vote the first time round.

  14. Ulysses February 25, 2013 at 8:33 pm - Reply

    If this doesn’t scare the absolute shite out of you, then i suggest you find a copy of Micheal Moore’s Sicko, and imagine the devastation that Private Health Insurance would bring to this country- The ultimate conclusion of ConDem policy, i fear.
    You have all experienced how Insurance companies try to wriggle out of paying up on legitimate claims on auto and household insurance…
    Imagine these charlatans in charge of financing treatment for a life threatening condition

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicko

  15. […] at the ‘negative resolution’ the government introduced last year, to open England’s health service to widespread competition. This happened after the Conservatives (Andrew Lansley in particular) promised on their honour that […]

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