Labour urges Lords to reject NHS privatisation regs


by Newswire    
8:20 am - April 24th 2013

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Labour will today force a crucial vote in the Lords on the Government’s NHS competition regulations, amid growing evidence of accelerating NHS privatisation.

Last year, during the passage of the Health and Social Care Act, ministers gave repeated assurances that doctors would have final say over whether to open NHS services to the market.

However, Royal Colleges have joined Labour in warning that the regulations, brought forward under Section 75 of the Act, mandate market tendering on the medical profession in all but the most exceptional circumstances.

Last month, under pressure from Labour, the Government was forced to withdraw and re-write the regulations. However, the independent Lords Scrutiny Committee has said that the new regulations are “substantially the same” as the originals.

Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said:

NHS privatisation is already proceeding at an alarming pace. If passed, these regulations will let the privatisation genie fully out of the bottle.

David Cameron promised to put doctors in charge and let them decide. He is now mandating the medical profession to carve the NHS open to full competition. The Prime Minister has mis-sold his NHS reforms and the Lords should not let him get away with it.

Lord Philip Hunt, Labour’s health spokesperson in the House of Lords, leading the debate, will say:

These regulations will create a culture of defensive contracting, where commissioners will go to tender if there is any doubt that a failure to do so will expose them to a possible damages claim. They are part of the Government’s drive to shift the culture of the NHS from a public service into a public marketplace, and of a piece with a number of other ominous developments which send the NHS along the same path.

The British Medical Association joined the Royal College of General Practitioners last week in calling for the regulations to be re-written.

Marie Curie and other voluntary organisations have warned that mandatory competition will damage patient care.

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Reader comments


1. Neil

This request would probably carry more oomph had they not spent the best part of their term in office farming out various parts of the service to the private sector themselves.

2. SteveM

The NHS has finished in all but name.

3. Cherub

So much for that last slim hope.

http://skwalker1964.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/254-lords-betray-the-people-of-england/

4. David C

Our NHS Services are not commercial experienced but will be subjected to bidding for their own work against commercially aggressive organisations. These organisations have long term strategies and deep pockets. They know that if they put in low prices on the initial bids the NHS service will be eliminated and the next time they tender the NHS competition will not be there and can increase the price.
The private health care industry is looking at market worth billions and will result in million pound salaries and bonuses for the directors and reduced the salaries and benefits for the professionals. They are looking to carve up the market not for our benefit.
Private health care companies have given the Conservative Party millions to buy our NHS and will be repaid hundred times or more. The liberal party have allowed this to happen and will ultimately will be held responsible. You cannot blame the Conservative party it is in their DNA to do this. Only the Lords can stop this.

5. MarkAustin

@1. Neil

Quite right. And, indeed how expects Labour, in government, to do more than weep crocodile tears about how the changes are too entrenched to remove, and then waltz off, when out of office, into jobs with those self-same firms.


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