Stewart Blackmore, the Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate for the Isle of Wight shares this letter sent to Conservative Isle of Wight MP, Andrew Turner. OnTheWight will also contact Mr Turner’s office with the offer of publishing his reply. Ed
At the General Election in 2010, you stood before the voters of the Isle of Wight on a clear commitment of ‘no top-down reorganisation of the NHS’. Shortly after, this promise was carried into the Coalition Agreement.
However, within weeks of it being signed, your Government brought forward the biggest reorganisation of the NHS in its history. Despite huge opposition from patients and health professionals you voted in support of the Bill that made it possible.
Detrimental impact on patient care
Four years on, it is now clear that your reorganisation has had a detrimental impact on patient care. People are struggling to get GP appointments, waiting lists are at a six-year high and the NHS recently missed the cancer treatment standard for the first time ever.
However, your reorganisation did something else: it placed market forces at the heart of the NHS. Ever since, privatisation of services has proceeded apace.
NHS work out to tender
It was recently reported that the amount of the NHS budget in the hands of private and others providers has gone through the £10 billion barrier for the first time and a further £5.6 billion of NHS work is out to tender.
This is a direct result of the provisions in the Health & Social Care Act 2012 which you supported. It requires mandatory tendering of services and gives a role in the NHS to the competition authorities for the first time. It also allows NHS hospitals to earn up to half their income from treating private patients. Many hospitals are now using this freedom, opening up fears of a two-tier health service.
No mandate to sell the NHS
I do not believe that you or the Prime Minister were ever given a mandate from the people of the Isle of Wight to put the NHS up for sale. My purpose in writing to you is to alert you to the fact that you will soon have an opportunity to correct this mistake and to encourage you to take it.
On 21st November, the National Health Service (Amended Duties and Powers) Bill – promoted by Clive Efford MP – will come before the Commons. The Bill repeals the regulations which mandate tendering of services and restores the Private Patient Income cap to levels similar to those that existed in 2010.
Changes must have consent of the public
In short, it would stop the sell-off and restore the right values to the heart of the NHS. The NHS is a treasured institution. I am sure you will agree that any changes to it must always have the consent of the public.
People in the Isle of Wight have a right to know how you plan to vote on the Efford Bill. I would be grateful if you could answer this question in your reply and hope you will act now to repair the damage which is being done to the NHS.
I look forward to your early reply.
Image: lucid_nightmare under CC BY 2.0
