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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 6 August 2009
 
Questions bad for your health

• NHS Camden are circulating a consultation document.

It is an insult to call this a consultation.  
The “questionnaire” asks the most absurdly loaded questions describing its proposed local health priorities.
Example: “Reduce health inequalities – One of our key objectives over the coming years will be to reduce the
10-year gap in life expectancy between the richest and poorest parts of the borough”.  
We are asked to rate this one to seven with seven as most important, and, of course, seven is the answer.
Example: “Increase access to choice – The right care, in the right place at the right time. We will provide all the people of Camden with high quality, accessible services, close to where you live”. Of course we say seven.  
All the questions are like this.
No question asks “Do you want your surgeries sold to an American insurance corporation?”
No question asks “Should we spend money on supporting and improving existing surgeries that you know and are familiar with?” There are no questions about value, whether services should be put out to tender and possibly privatised.
Doubtless the answers to issues labelled very important (No 7) will be used to say consultation supports NHS Camden’s plans.
These will then not be open to proper accountability and scrutiny because contracts are confidential.
Even reasons why doctors are leaving surgeries recently sold to that large private corporation will not be disclosed because they are prevented by contract from saying why. This whole process is an outrage.
THOM OSBORN
Kentish Town


Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@thecnj.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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