Latest attack on the NHS: suggested action

[susanreads]

You may or may not be tired of hearing about the government's attacks on the NHS, but there might be something you can do.

Going To Work describes the current state of play:

After a huge public outcry forced Jeremy Hunt to withdraw and rewrite his controversial new NHS competition regulations earlier this month, the government have come back with a new suggestion to put this part of last year’s Health And Social Care Act into practice.

But despite the toned down wording, it still in effect will compel local commissioning groups to open most services out to private markets, even if it's against the wishes of local people. This means that it still runs counter to promises given by the government as the Act narrowly passed in the House of Lords last year.

These regulations mean our NHS services will become more fragmented, and scarce resources will be diverted into wasteful private tendering costs and legal fees.

The last parliamentary chance to change the regulations lies with Peers, as a motion has been laid to oppose the regulations. Peers can bring the scrutiny the government have been so keen to avoid, and hold the government to the broken promises they made in the House last year.

You can ask a member of the Lords to support the motion and safeguard our NHS services, by writing a letter or email to a Peer now, at the TUC's Going to Work website:
Adopt a Peer