Simon4Pinhoe: Block the Bill - The Fight to Save the NHS

When Nye Bevan, the Labour visionary who first foresaw an accessible, universal national healthcare system, free at the point of contact to all, was asked about the future of the new NHS, he said:

"The NHS will survive as long as there are folk left with the faith to fight for it."

I believe he knew that there would be some who would be seeking its demise, who would be seeking to undermine its values of being "accessible", "universal" and "free".

Tory MP, Oliver Letwin, told a meeting in 2004 that "the NHS will not exist within 5 years of a Tory government". (http://ind.pn/f1biL1)

Increasingly, it seems he may be right. You will recall that Andrew Lansley's plans faced fierce opposition in the Commons - so much so that the Prime Minister announced a "pause" in the development of the Bill. Since that pause, 1000 amendments have been made to the Bill, but still it has not been fully scrutinised again in the Commons. This week, it sits with the Lords. There is a reasonable chance the Lords will block the Bill, and I for one sincerely hope that they do.

These plans will mark the end of the NHS as we all know it. Private providers will move in, and profit, not the quality of care, will become the new "bottom line" for clinicians. Even in the United States, a doctor is not allowed to refer a patient to a service that the doctor has a financial interest in. Even such a rudimentary safeguard against conflict of interests and profiteering do not exist in Lansley's Bill.

That is why I went to London yesterday to add my voice to thousands who went to protest against the Bill, and against the putting of profits before people. It was great to see a healthy contingent from Exeter getting up very early and taking a nearly 8 hour round-trip to participate in what was a very good natured, diverse, but powerful protest against this assault on a National Health Service that is the envy of the world.

There were many health care professionals there, and the message that was told again and again is that there is no evidence whatsoever that market competition has any effect on either clinical quality OR cost. This Bill is NOT evidence based, it is - as Letwin's comments in 2004 show - quite simply more toxic Tory ideology.