Dessimation of the NHS

www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/caroline-molloy/eight-reasons-you-really-can%27t-trust-tories-with-nhs

Reason number two is about the amount of privatisation, nonnie.

This article was written last May, so the figures will be greater now.

Check this out as well, trisher.

nhap.org/we-oppose-the-commission-on-health-and-social-care/

www.opendemocracy.net/node/87853

About the PFI.

What do you understand by decimation, Joelsnan??
It means "reduction by 10%" not "destruction" or anything as dramatic. The clue is in the first 5 letters of the word, as in DECIMal

It is certainly a political issue when the government use delaying tactics to stop a private members bill which would put a halt to privatisation becoming law.
Check and sign to show your support for this
www.cliveefford.org.uk/backthebill

Is it being "privatised by stealth"? The last figures I heard were that 5% was privatised under the Labour government and it is now up to 6%. I think it is important not to confuse closing some hospitals and moving to centres of excellence with privatisation.

I believe one of the reasons for closing hospitals is that some doctors were not getting enough relevant experience in the smaller hospitals and need the specialist units to get such experience. We are fortunate to have a new small community hospital which deals with minor injuries until 9 pm and only have about 8 miles to a full A & E.

Does it really matter if a few peripheral services are privatised if they can be done as efficiently and at the same or lesser cost? The example I know about is Specsavers doing hearing tests and giving the NHS aids out. Does that matter? Presumably if they find something seriously wrong they refer the patient. Hearing loss is normal after the age of 50 so it seems daft to have highly qualified doctors dealing with it when someone is not actually ill.

I'm afraid it is a political issue when one party's underlying objective is to dismantle the NHS. I think there is more than enough evidence now to demonstrate that measures have deliberately been put in place to sabotage its effective operation and to try to turn the general public against it. The same sorts of measures are being used against the BBC.

Yes it is, however I was stunned to realise that this is countrywide. It's amazing, until it drops into your lap to recognise just what on earth is happening. I understand Scotland and Wale are not having the same problems.
The whole of England needs to know that the NHS is being privatised by stealth and services are disappearing at an alarming rate.

Politicians say one thing in public and then seem to quietly do the opposite. I strongly believe privatisation of the NHS is their ultimate aim. It says on Wikipedia, which I know can be unreliable, that Jeremy Hunt the Health Secretary co-authored a book on privatising the NHS and he's in charge!

The NHS is so important to everyone that it should always be a cross party collaboration before any major changes are made rather than just the current government.

Very sorry to hear your A&E is closing, Joelsnan. It must be very worrying for you all.

Joelsnan: Is that Huddersfield / Halifax that you are talking about?

I was up visiting my parents at the weekend and they were telling me about it. They are extremely concerned, as it's a horrendous drive for them over to Halifax from their village, several miles out on the opposite side of Huddersfield, even in normal traffic, let alone in rush hour traffic.

The reasons behind it beggar belief! I understand that this all began at least a couple of decades ago (put forward, I'm told by a Conservative government but then given the go-ahead by a Labour government), but I still feel that those responsible ought be held to account for what seems like the reckless squandering of public money on an almost criminal scale.

I do not remember any government since 1948 being given a mandate to change the founding principals below:

NHS founding principals are clear: The health service will be available to all and financed entirely from taxation, which means that people pay into it according to their means.

I am just amazed Privatisation is is being done by stealth. No wonder remaining hospitals and A and Es cannot cope and staff are leaving if they have to cope with additional patients from towns where these facilities have closed.

I agree with whitewave
It should not be a political football.

There is also now a proposal that those private companies providing health care should not have to pay taxes. Give your opinion on this here
www.38degrees.org.uk/page/speakout/nhs-monitor-tax-consultation
More money in the pockets of the Fat Cats!

The stealthy privatisation of our NHS has been going of for a long time, I've been retired 10 yrs and private ambulance companies were taking the non-urgent ambulance journeys before I retired in fact some of my colleagues left the job because they were so disgusted.

I agree nonnie, it layers and layers of 'managers'. Most of whom are not very good. (there are honourable exceptions! Teetime)

In our bit, DH fully qualified, cannot triage patients only refer for treatment. They are then seen for an examination again and then they have to go back again to be treated. These are people who are housebound!

More and more though I think politicians should keep their hands out of it. There must be a better way.

Must be that, it is costing us all a fortune but not the only reason the NHS is in debt.

Admin is appalling, too much putting things off like my friend needs a 5 minute procedure on her eye and had to go to have it looked at and then again to have it done. It would have saved time and money to do it all on the first appointment.

DH had to have several pre-op tests which meant each time one visit for a blood test and a separate one for all the other tests and then again twice for MRI scans. We believe this was all down to the admin.

Why is everything in hospital still done on paper? It gets lost, goes to the wrong person etc.

Why don't we just send people away when they go to A & E when it is not necessary.

I could go on an on because I don't believe throwing money at it is always the answer.

Don't get me started !!

Perhaps it is time we took charge and decide what we want from our NHS rather than politicians telling us what is going to happen.

The water could be tested to see what voters think about a dedicated tax that is taken out of the politicians hands. Administered by a non-profit making organization..

The PFI building programme has been a disaster.

Is this an old but ongoing PFI debt?