NHSCA co-chairman, Dr Clive Peedell and NHSCA member, Dr David
Wilson, will be running 160 miles in 6 days (6 marathons) from Aneurin
Bevan’s statue in Cardiff, to the Department of Health, Richmond House
in London. This symbolic event is to protest against the Health and
Social Care Bill, which is due to go to the report stage in the House
of Lords this month.
(The NHSCA’s official policy position is of total opposition to the
bill in its entirety, which is in line with current BMA policy)
The run will start on Tuesday January 10th at 8.30 am from Bevan’s
Statue in Queen Street, Cardiff, opposite Cardiff Castle. Dr Stefan
Coghlan, the Chairman of BMA Wales will be joining “Bevan’s runners”
for the first few miles in recognition of the BMA’s own policy position
of complete opposition to the entire Health and Social Care Bill. Dr
Peedell and Dr Wilson will be personally delivering a “Postcard from
Bevan” to David Cameron’s constituency office in Witney and to Andrew
Lansley at the Department of Health at Richmond House, London. Dr
Peedell will also be using Social media with Twitter (@cpeedell) and
his blogsite “Bevan’s Run” http://bevansrun.blogspot.com/, to protest
along the way.
The delivery of the postcard in Mr Cameron’s constituency office in
Witney will be marked with a rally against the reforms down Witney High
Street following speeches against the reforms on the Church Green from
high profile members of the medical profession.
Similarly, there will be a rally and speeches outside the Department of
Health, Richmond House in London The “Postcard from Bevan” can be
viewed here:
http://bevansrun.blogspot.com/2011/12/postcard-from-bevans-runners.html
The postcard calls on Mr Cameron and Mr Lansley to withdraw the
Health
and Social Care Bill for the following reasons:
1. If enacted the bill will inevitably lead to increasing NHS
privatisation and commercialisation, which will further undermine
Bevan’s founding principles of the NHS.
2. The reforms lack democratic legitimacy. This is clearly a
major
top down reorganisation, with abolition of PCTs and SHAs and the
creation of a regulated competitive external market, which will see an
end to the NHS as a publicly funded and publicly provided healthcare
system. This was not in your election manifesto, not in the coalition
agreement, and not what the public voted for at the last General
election.
3. The bill lacks professional support. The BMA and RCGP have
both
publicly called for the bill to be withdrawn, despite the fact that one
of the key principles underpinning the reforms was supposed to be
clinician empowerment, with GPs at the heart of the reforms. The
message from the medical profession could not be clearer in that these
reforms are seriously flawed and will be detrimental to the future of
the NHS and patient care. Since there is strong evidence that clinical
leadership and followership are fundamentally important to successful
healthcare reform, this raises serious questions about your decision to
plough on with the reforms in the face of such medical opposition.
4. The NHS is under unprecedented financial pressure and
coupled
with the £20billion QIPP efficiency savings agenda, massive
reorganisation of the NHS at this time carries a high risk of service
fragmentation and failure. There is evidence that some of the major
changes that have already taken place on the ground are threatening
service stability, even before the legislation has been enacted. The
reforms will also drive up costs due to the increased bureaucracy and
administration of the new healthcare market and the drive to turn
patients into “consumers” of healthcare through the choice agenda.
5. Market driven healthcare systems erode professional values
and
the public service ethos, which is the glue that sticks the NHS
together.
6. The NHS is one of the greatest achievements in modern
British
political history. Public satisfaction with the NHS is at an all time
high according to the latest British Social Attitudes survey. The NHS
is also one of the most highly performing and cost effective healthcare
systems in the world, especially when it comes to equity and access to
healthcare. The NHS logo has become one of the most powerful brands in
the UK, carrying over 95% recognition among the general public, and
very strong levels of credibility, authority and trust.
All Press enquires to Dr Clive Peedell, co-chair of the NHSCA
clivepeedell@btinternet.com
Mobile 07990 520475
