Dear NHS Supporter ...

[Tim Lund]

Since Sydenham is represented by a Labour MP, any one who thinks the Coalition's reforms to the NHS planned in the current Health and Social Care Bill are a really bad idea might think about lobbying a Lord instead, as co-ordinated by this TUC site. The email I've just received thanks to signing up says

You might like to include some of these points:

• The way each Peer debates and votes on the Health and Social Care Bill will have a major impact on our National Health Service.
• The Bill contains clauses which could see taxpayers' money diverted into shareholder profits, and post code lotteries for treatment intensified.
• The Bill removes the cap on the amount of private income a hospital can make, which could mean NHS patients pushed to the back of the queue.
• Public satisfaction with the NHS is currently at an all time high.

I worry a bit that these sorts of argument can be too easily dismissed as just what you'd expect the TUC to say; it's not too hard to think of profit driven companies - appropriately regulated - which can and do provide value as NHS suppliers. You don't have to think everything is wonderful about the NHS as it is either to think that another complete reorganisation is not what it needs - probably better to let those currently trying to manage it work where it can be made to work better, e.g. by merging smaller, less efficient units. Instead, this bill trades on the romantic Tory idea that everything is done better if decentralised - so put the GPs in charge.

There's a plausible prediction of what will - is meant to? - happen as a result in these five tweets from (Dr) Ben Goldacre



I hope other STFers will also be lobbying on this