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‘Why we are marching against NHS reforms’

‘Why we are marching against NHS reforms’

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Photo: Pickersgill Reef

Dr Ron Singer, president of the Medical Practitioners’ Section of Unite, explains why the union is protesting against the planned NHS reforms.
We are marching because we do not believe Mr Lansley, the Prime Minister or Professor Field will look after the NHS.
David Cameron said in a speech this week that he loves the NHS and just wants to improve it.
He is pretending he does not understand the impact of his Health Secretary’s plans for the NHS.
He says he appreciated the co-ordinated, thoughtful care his son received, yet Lansley’s Bill puts this at risk as competition, multiple providers and the business world of commercial secrets risk fragmentation of services rather than co-ordination and co-operation.
The Bill has competition at its heart – ‘cherry-picking’ and using the private sector more are the elements of ‘privatisation’ that we hate but the Prime Minister denies will happen.
Private companies mean profits and share-holder dividends – that means less money for patient care.
The NHS is not perfect. That’s why it has changed and modernised in each of the 35 years I have worked in it.
Quality is rising and public satisfaction is at the highest ever. Yet the PM pretends his proposals are there just to improve the quality in the NHS.
Every one of the thousands who have said this Bill should be withdrawn want to improve the NHS.
GPs, nurses and others are already involved in shaping local services.
If the PM wants to improve clinical involvement this can be done without legislation – put the money for this reorganisation into involving GPs and others in commissioning services.
We all own the NHS and no part of it is for sale. Change, modernise, improve, yes. Dismantle, privatise, fragment, no.

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