| |
Arrogance concerning our NHS
• ON Wednesday I chaired a meeting of local campaigners concerned about the primary care trust’s plans to hand over the running of three GP surgeries in Camden to the mega-US corporation United Health.
We have now organised a public meeting, hosted by Councillor David Abrahams, at the Town Hall on Tuesday March 25 at 7pm.
I understand that my opponent, Frank Dobson, will be free to attend this meeting. People have told me they will be interested to hear his explanation of the PCT’s actions, particularly as it was the Health Act 1999, introduced by him when he was the health secretary, which introduced this unelected, unaccountable and arrogant form of management of our local NHS.
As your paper has previously reported, I have sent out thousands of health surveys across Holborn and St Pancras in the last few months.
Hundreds of people have responded – 80 per cent of them are opposed to any form of privatisation of the NHS. This is a very clear message, but one which goes unheard by the PCT and by this Labour government.
Local people have very real concerns about their health services being handed over to United Health. The corporation has a market capitalisation of $60bn. In 2007 it had profits of $4.6bn. It was fined $20 million for fraud in the US. Understandably, patients want to feel that their GP has a real commitment to them and their health, and not to shareholders in Minnesota.
The Camden PCT board has no need to listen properly to local patients’ views, because it is unelected. It was appointed by Whitehall to rule over our local health service – another example of the Labour government imposing its will from above. Local people rejected the arms-length management organisation when they had a chance to vote on it. If they were offered a vote now, is there any doubt that they would reject United Health?
JO SHAW
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson
Holborn & St Pancras
|
 |
|
| |
