Caporegime
Some of you may remember that earlier in the year the government had to postpone its hated plans to reform the NHS amid GP concern, large scale protests, and even a rap record criticising the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley. The government agreed to a postponement as part of a "listening exercise" and now that exercise has been completed and in one week our MPs will be voting on a massive change to the NHS. I signed a petition against the reforms and today I got an email from the slacktivism site 38 degrees stating the following:
Here's the legal advice in more detail: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/content/NHS-legal-advice/
I urge everyone who doesn't agree with these changes to contact their MP using the links above (I think it can be used even if you don't have a Conservative MP).
In just one week, your MP has to vote on massive changes to our NHS. But 38 Degrees members now have something our MPs don’t – thorough, independent legal advice about what these changes really mean.
Our expert legal advice is sobering. Despite the “listening exercise”, the government’s changes to the NHS plans could still pave the way for a shift towards a US-style health system, where private companies profit at the expense of patient care.
Conservative MPs like yours are being told by their bosses these changes fit with party ideology. But many would be horrified to know that the NHS would be subject to European competition laws and front-line services could be held up with procurement red tape. Let’s work together to show them the evidence right now!
If enough of us email now, it could tip the balance:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/email-your-conservative-mp
Our independent lawyers identified two major problems in the new legislation:
- The Secretary of State’s legal duty to provide a health service will be scrapped. On top of that, a new “hands-off clause” removes the government's powers to oversee local consortia and guarantee the level of service wherever we live. We can expect increases in postcode lotteries – and less ways to hold the government to account if the service deteriorates.
- The NHS will almost certainly be subject to UK and EU competition law and the reach of procurement law rules will extend across all NHS commissioners. Private health companies will be able to take new NHS commissioning groups to court if they don’t win contracts. Scarce public money could be tied up in legal wrangles instead of hospital beds. Meanwhile, the legislation lifts the cap on NHS hospitals filling beds with private patients.
So who are MPs going to listen to when casting their vote – you, or lobbyists from private health companies? This is our NHS, and it’s up to us to defend it. Email your MP now:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/email-your-conservative-mp
It’s pretty extraordinary what we’ve managed to achieve together already. Nearly half a million of us have signed the petition to save the NHS. And after Andrew Lansley announced the last round of changes, thousands of 38 Degrees members immediately chipped in to get top independent legal advice on the new plans.
Barrister Rebecca Haynes found that the government's plans could pave the way for private healthcare companies and their lawyers to benefit most from changes, not patients. Another barrister, Stephen Cragg, found that we were right to be worried that Andrew Lansley was planning to remove his duty to provide our NHS.
This is the conclusion of a top legal team paid to have no other interest at heart but yours.
MPs vote in just seven days. Seven days to not only get the evidence, but be convinced there’s way too much public concern to ignore it. The good news is, with over 800,000 of us now armed with expert legal advice, we are just the people to speak up. Our message is clear: we have the facts, so politicians can’t hide behind spin. Let’s give MPs from all parties the mandate they need to think again and vote against these changes to the NHS.
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/email-your-conservative-mp
Thanks,
Here's the legal advice in more detail: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/content/NHS-legal-advice/
I urge everyone who doesn't agree with these changes to contact their MP using the links above (I think it can be used even if you don't have a Conservative MP).