Demand Bournemouth Council Defend the NHS

Since the government announced its proposals to reform the NHS, pressure has been growing from all directions calling on them to think again and drop the Health and Social Care Bill. Health professionals, Unions, service users, charities and the public have all expressed deep concerns.

These include the estimated £3 billion it would cost to implement the changes which would effectively privatise almost 1 million NHS staff in England by 2014. Over £80 billion of tax payer’s money will be handed over to GP consortiums and a commissioning board who will be able to introduce major changes without any real public scrutiny or accountability.

Clinical services will be opened up to 'any willing provider' opening the door to cowboy private companies, smashing down quality of care and lead to the NHS being subject to EU competition laws. Foundation Trusts will be free to make as much money as they like from private medicine allowing them to concentrate on more wealthy patients from home and abroad while NHS budgets are squeezed. The expansion of private providers will inevitably bankrupt and close many local NHS services and hospitals. GPs will not really be in charge but will be under the thumb of a remote commissioning board and will not have a say over which providers will be included on the new national register.

The Bill does not protect against conflict of interests between those commissioning and the private providers meaning decisions could end up being based on profit rather than the needs of the patient. Hospital referrals will require the rubber stamping of 'management referral' teams often run by private companies seeking to cut spending.

Due to widespread opposition to the Bill, the government has recently announced a 2 month break in the Bill to "pause and engage". Please sign this petition calling on the Council to support the wishes of the vast majority of the population and contact the local MPs demanding that the Bill is dropped.