Worcester Against The Cuts

Monday 26^th September  7pm

The Plough
Deansway
Worcester

Please join our demonstration on 25^th August 2011 at 7pm outside the Walk-in Centre on Farrier Street, WR1 3BH to mourn the death of the NHS as we know it.

The health service we know and love is under massive threat. The coalition government claims to have listened to the concerns of the public and made changes to the draft Health and Social Care Bill.  But the Bill will still

• Increase privatisation
• Bring back the postcode lottery
• Increase red tape

Cameron’s revised health Bill is now a dangerous mess of amendments and loopholes. Our MPs will be voting in Parliament on this Bill and the future of the NHS on 6th and 7th September.   They will be asked to vote on the amendments and vote the Bill through (or not) before it goes to the House of Lords.

Do you want this Bill to become law?  If you are as worried as we are, please tell your MP not to vote for the death of our NHS.  You can do so via http://nhsalert.org.uk/ a campaign organised by nurses, doctors and concerned health professionals.

We are absolutely determined to do all we can to try and stop this Bill becoming law.  If you love the NHS, help us fight to keep it.

Why a demonstration outside the Walk-in Centre?

Worcester Walk-in Health Centre provides GP appointments for everyone from 8am to 8pm 365 days a year.  It was commissioned to do so by NHS Worcestershire to improve access to primary care.

The Walk-in Centre is run by Elgar Healthcare Limited.  This company was formed in May 2008 ‘by local GPs to manage and run a variety of community based healthcare services. The company is also supported from investment by 64 shareholders who are all either GPs or Practice Managers in South Worcestershire.’ 

This means that the profit from providing this NHS Walk-in service goes to the shareholders of Elgar Healthcare Limited.

Under the ConDem government’s proposed Health and Social Care Bill, GPs will become the commissioners and decide where NHS funds are spent.  The government will require them to ‘offer choice’ of health service providers.  This will allow them to award more contracts to Elgar Healthcare Limited for their own profit.

Furthermore your own GP will have a financial incentive to refer you to services provided by Elgar Healthcare Limited, rather than to non-profit making NHS providers, because they will be adding to their personal income.

Members of Worcester Against The Cuts will congregate outside the walk-in centre on Farrier Street at 7pm on Thursday 25^th August to demonstrate against the Government’s NHS privatisation plans.

The government say that they have “listened and learned” from the outcry about their NHS plans but the truth is that their proposals have barely changed at all. We still have a lot to worry about – privatisation, worse patient care, and more red tape.

Their plans will make it easier for private companies to make money from NHS hospitals that have been paid for by taxpayers. They will lead to longer waiting times for treatment as hospitals close and merge, and to a postcode lottery that will mean what treatment you can get will depend on where you live.

The House of Commons will soon be voting on the government NHS plans. We are urging residents of Worcester to lobby their MP Robin Walker and ask him to vote against these plans that will effectively privatise the NHS.

Follow this link to the campaigning website NHS Alert where you can email your MP: http://nhsalert.org.uk/page/speakout/will-you-email-your-mp-now

Robin Walker MP has spoken of his support for the Government’s proposed changes to the NHS at a public meeting in Worcester City Centre (1st July 2011). He referred to “enormous changes” to the new Health and Care Bill, and the fact that he is a member of a Parliamentary Committee responsible for looking through the Bill. He claimed that the Government is trying to make the NHS more accountable by having Health and Well-Being Boards, which will include councillors, adding that “clinicians will be taking decisions rather than Whitehall”. He also said:

“The NHS should remain national, public and free. Sometimes people accuse us (the Government) of wanting to privatise the NHS…That is not the case at all. I don’t want to see the NHS changed beyond recognition or cut. I don’t think the Government would dare to cut the NHS and wouldn’t be in power again if it did. There won’t be a market competition in terms of price – that would lead to ‘cherry-picking’. Competition has to be based on quality – whatever the provider they will be paid the same amount.”

Elaine Carolan, Worcestershire County Council Lead Joint Commissioning Manager for Adult & Community Services, also spoke at the meeting, which was chaired by Reverend Anne Smith of St. Andrew’s Methodist Church. Mrs Carolan said:

“Worcestershire County Council is very committed to not doing services in-house. Commissioning services out is more cost-effective (but) we don’t just contract out to the cheapest bidder.”

Neil Laurenson, member of Worcester Against The Cuts, said:

“The proposed Health and Care Bill is an unnecessary re-organisation of the NHS. Robin Walker acknowledged that the reorganisation – which could cost £3bn – could divert resources. Most GPs are private provider businesses, not NHS employees, with investments in a range of providers. There are huge conflicts of interest if they are given responsibility for commissioning budgets. Privatisation is about making profits out of existing services for private shareholders, not making sure that people get the best care possible. I was also concerned by Elaine Carolan’s comments regarding privatisation and personal responsibility for care. I have heard Adrian Hardman, Trish Haines and Philip Gretton make similar comments, and it is becoming increasingly obvious that the deficit caused by the banks is being used as an excuse to make cuts to public services whilst enabling private companies to increase their profits.”

There will be a ‘healthcare question time’ at the Forum theatre in Malvern in mid-September with Harriett Baldwin MP, Sarah Dugan, Eamonn Kelly and other representatives from local NHS trusts. The meeting will be open to the public.

A public meeting is being held on Friday, 1st July, 7:30 pm at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Worcester. Robin Walker MP will be there. Entry is Free.