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The fight for our NHS must go on
Bob Austin led the legal challenge over the GP-led health centre for Hampstead Road. Now that NHS Camden have backed down, he says, there is an opportunity for people to have a real say in how the money is spent on health care
I TOOK NHS Camden to court because I believe passionately in our National Health Service.
I am horrified that 60 years after the NHS was set up it is being taken over bit by bit by profit-making private companies.
I am very happy that under the threat of a judicial review in the High Court, the trust have been stopped in their tracks.
They have had to back down and agree that they will consult local people over whether to set up a new clinic in Hampstead Road that they want run by a private company, Care UK.
I think this is a victory for the NHS and for local democracy.
But it is unbelievable, and frankly insulting, that we had to go through this whole legal process just to get NHS Camden to carry out their legal duty to consult us.
Trust officers spent the last few months telling us that they didn’t need to consult us.
Then when we threatened legal action they tried to twist the facts and say that they had done it already.
Do they really think we are all stupid?
NHS Camden’s view of consultation is that they tell local people what is best for them.
But we pay for the health service and we need it, so we should say how it is run and hold these unelected officials to account.
They ask people if they want a new, so-called
“GP-led” health centre, and if they want their doctors open for longer.
But they don’t tell you that the centre will be run by a private company, or that your local GP surgery might have to close as a result.
Over the past 60 years I have been at the same surgery and have only had two different doctors.
Seeing the same doctor is even more important when you have young children or as you get older like me.
The new clinic proposed in Hampstead Road would have to compete with existing surgeries, and some like those in Regent’s Park estate, Camden Town or Somers Town might end up having to close down.
I don’t see how that will improve health in our area which is one of the most deprived.
Surely they should be working with the local doctors to find out how to improve things, instead of imposing the government’s latest newfangled idea.
It seems to me the real reason for all these plans is to give private companies a foothold in our health service.
I think that is wrong. Whether it is a multi-national from America that took over Camden surgeries last year, or a company like Care UK, it should not be a few shareholders of private companies that dictate to our health service or make profit out of it.
There are 60 million people in Britain who need the NHS.
We have paid for it and it is us who should benefit from it.
There is £20million of our money that NHS Camden planned to spend on this new clinic.
Because of our campaign we now have the chance to make sure that this money is spent on health services that local people need, rather than being handed over to private companies.
With everyone’s support we can win.
Come to the Keep our NHS Public open meeting on Monday November 30 at 6.30pm in the Dick Collins Hall, Redhill Street, NW1.
At that meeting you can have your say how you would like our money spent and join the our campaign to defend the NHS.
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