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We must keep Camden GPs in the National Health Service
• I WANT to draw attention to the fact that in their tendering of the out-of-hours GP service, Camden Primary Care Trust is doing even less consulting with the public than they did in the UnitedHealth take-over of the three south Camden Health Centres.
No consultation letters have gone out to residents of the four boroughs concerned, that is Camden, Islington, Haringey and Hackney.
No notices of consultation have been posted in health centres or community centres alerting the public that there is a “consultation” taking place.
One notice was posted last week in your pages, but none has appeared in other local newpapers. How is a member of the general public supposed to get to hear about this “consultation”?
There is a “consultation document” on the PCT website, but no one in the general public knows about it, because it has not been advertised adequately.
By the way, in the website document there is no mention that the service may end up being run by a private company – so there is no chance again for anyone lucky enough to know about the website questionnaire to put their views on this aspect. It seems to me that Camden PCT are once again moving towards tendering health service contracts without informing or consulting the public who will be affected by their actions.
The question of why the PCT are tendering this contract also arises. The service has been run well by Camidoc – why do the PCT not make a new contract with Camidoc? Have PCT consulted the patients who have been treated by Camidoc, and asked them what they think of the present service?
I myself have only heard good reports from my Camden neighbours. Why is public money being spent in going through a tendering process, which doesn’t need to happen, when the present service is in good shape?
Our campaign believes that private profit has no place in our NHS. We call on Camden Primary Care Trust to stop putting money before patient needs and to keep all Camden GPs within the NHS.
There is one day left before the consultation deadline of April 18. Concerned residents should email PALS@ CAMDENPCT.NHS. UK, or write to Pals, Camden PCT, Freepost RRCA-BHXE-HUS, London NW1 OPE, or phone 020 7530 6315.
The public are invited to attend the next PCT board meeting, on Monday April 21.
The last item on the agenda will be the out-of-hours GP consultation, and this will be discussed at 5.30pm. The meeting is in the Conference Hall, St Pancras Hospital, St Pancras Way, NW1. Please come and express your views.
Alex Mackie
Keep Camden GPs in the NHS
Spencer Rise, NW5
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