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13 December 2005
Welcome to the first campaign bulletin from Keep Our NHS Public, a national campaign against the marketisation of the NHS. This bulletin service will keep you up to date on all the recent news as the Government attempts to push through its market reforms.
Deficits impact on care
Patricia Hewitt has revealed that predicted NHS deficits total £623m, despite record funding. The Department of Health has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on deficits, which officials admit is intended to embed the financial discipline that will be necessary for survival in the new market environment.
- East Suffolk PCTs are denying operations to those in pain, including hip and knee replacements for the obese. “We cannot pretend that this wasn't stimulated by pressing financial problems,” said a spokesman. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 23 Nov) Hernia and varicose vein treatments have been restricted in Oxfordshire to all except those in urgent need. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 11 Dec) Minimum waits are being imposed in Staffordshire, Cornwall, Yorkshire, East Suffolk and parts of London to push operations back to the new financial year. Patricia Hewitt has given her blessing to the tactic, saying hitting financial targets is more important than reducing waits. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 7 Dec)
These are just a selection of the closures and job losses that have been announced in the past few weeks. For more, see Keep Our NHS Public’s news roundup page: http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php
- Jobs are being axed at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire (500 posts), Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry (250), Peterborough and Stamford foundation trust (200), West Suffolk Hospital Trust (260, or 10% of the workforce), and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal in Telford (300). http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 8 Dec & 21, 18 & 14 Nov) 1,200 jobs are to go in the west Midlands as Birmingham and Black Country SHA freezes the recruitment of nurses, admin staff and others. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 6 Dec) Demonstrations have been held in Oxford over cuts and the privatisation of commissioning; in Stamford against job losses and ward closures in Lincolnshire; and in Hemel Hempstead against the closure of the town’s A&E. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/breakingnews.php; http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 21 Nov & 5 Dec) A council-organised vote in Redditch saw a 99% majority against the proposed A&E closure. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 24 Nov) In Shropshire Bridgnorth Community Hospital, Whitchurch Hospital and Ludlow Hospital may be closed, as well as either Telford or Shrewsbury’s A&E. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 25 Nov) 27 top consultant psychiatrists have warned that a £2m cut to the mental health budget in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will result in more suicides and violent attacks. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 7 & 8 Dec) Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham plans to tackle debts by issuing 200 redundancies, closing a ward, cutting back on agency nurses and selling property. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 25 Nov) Manchester’s Trafford General Hospital, opened by Aneurin Bevan on the day the NHS was founded, is having to demolish 25% of its buildings to make way for a car park that will charge visitors and staff. Trafford Healthcare Trust also plans to close Altrincham General Hospital. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 17 Nov)
- Keep Our NHS Public and other campaigners have won a crucial victory in Oxfordshire. Thames Valley strategic health authority (SHA) were forced to abandon a controversial scheme to privatise health commissioning in the county, which would have placed a £600m public budget in private hands. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/breakingnews.php The Government have been forced to retreat on their plan to strip primary care trusts (PCTs) of their role as providers of services in favour of the private sector. Widespread staff anger and a legal challenge forced a U-turn and an apology from Patricia Hewitt. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/breakingnews.php
- Three strategic health authorities have suspended payment by results – the new system whereby hospitals are paid for procedures undertaken rather than being allocated budgets – for fear that it would cause financial crisis. NHS chief exec Sir Nigel Crisp said the reforms “are not unravelling”, giving fresh hope to campaigners that they are. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 7 & 8 Dec)
- The public have paid 600% over the odds for cataract operations in Oxfordshire. A Netcare IS-TC forced on local PCTs by the Department of Health performed only 93 of 572 contracted procedures in six months. Given the choice patients simply opted for the NHS hospital. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 24 Nov) Foundation hospital chiefs are up in arms in Yorkshire, saying the huge expansion of IS-TCs in the area will leave them financially unstable. The Government could hardly have anticipated that foundation trusts would be such vocal opponents of reform! http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 21 Nov) The Government repeatedly claims IS-TCs have brought down cataract waiting lists, but the Royal College of Ophthalmologists has revealed that the private sector has only done 2.5% of the work. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 15 Nov)
- Foundation Trust's deficits were twice as large as those of NHS trusts last year, and 7 of 25 trusts failed to meet national targets on waiting times and the like. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/newsroundup.php (see 25 Nov)
- The Norfolk & Norwich Hospital PFI deal was so bad it has been branded "the unacceptable face of capitalism" by the Tory chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/breakingnews.php
- Public meeting in Chertsey. Tuesday, 13 December 5.30 - 8pm. A £54 million overspend could mean cuts and wholesale privatisation of local services. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/meetings/surrey20051213.pdf Demonstration in Cambridge. Saturday 17 December, 12.30pm. Protest against reductions in mental health services, ward closures and rationing of care. http://www.keepournhspublic.com/meetings/Cambridge20051217.pdf
Funds are so tight at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire that the traditional free meals for staff working on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day have been swallowed up in the cuts, prompting rumours that Scrooge is alive and well and living in Stoke-on-Trent.
For
further information please contact Alex Nunns on 07763 607 528,
konp.press@virgin.net