Friends urged to lobby on health bill
Bill poses significant risk to the NHS ‘as a universal health service free at the point of use’.
Quakers are being urged to write to their MPs about the new Health and Care Bill.
Friends are supporting a campaign that argues that the bill poses significant risk to the NHS ‘as a universal health service free at the point of use’.
The campaigners – including The 99% Organisation, National Health Action Party, Nurses United, Gov2UK, Every Doctor UK, Keep our NHS Public and Open Britain – have flagged a number of amendments that can be suggested to members of parliament.
London Quakers said in its newsletter that ’although there are positive aspects to the bill, there are areas that pose great risk’. Shirin Thomas, from The 99% Organisation, said: ‘We have Quaker friends who are helping us tirelessly. Most notably Sue Newsom of London Quakers, Jeff Beatty (who is a clerk to the Borders’ trustees and a trustee of Meeting of Friends in Wales) and Judith Niechcial.’ Friends can contact her at shirin.e@talktalk.net to join the campaign.
According to The 99% Organisation, the suggested amendments revolve around the proposed legislation to ‘remove the obligation for public tendering for NHS services and allows ministers to circumvent normal procurement rules’. Other amendments they are seeking are on the bill’s proposal to give ministers greater control over patient data; and to give ‘new and considerable powers to amend or abolish existing arm’s length bodies, create new NHS trusts and to intervene in reconfigurations of the health service’. Campaigners say that the legislation also ‘leaves open the possibility for corporate healthcare providers to gain seats on ICS boards which represents a clear conflict of interest and gives them undue influence in decision-making’.
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