Forum Topic

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/19/nhs-mandate-england-consulation-deadline

23 November 2015 deadline.  Not sure how this was kept so quiet.

Philippa Bond ● 3946d10 Comments

" is inaccurate and offensive to people who care about truth rather than what seems to be political party dogma."So where is it then?The 38 Degrees petition reads:"Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is trying to sneak through new NHS plans. [1] The Guardian newspaper has revealed that a key NHS blueprint has been slipped out. Even though the public have a right to comment, the government "has deliberately kept it quiet". [2] Because of this cover-up, we've now got just over 24 hours to flood the Department of Health with messages demanding that our NHS is protected. [3]It's not hard to see why Jeremy Hunt would try to sneak his NHS plans through. Our health service is facing a dangerous winter, harmed by needless cuts and privatisation. [4] Hunt wants to claim that the public are happy with the way he's running the NHS. So the last thing he wants is a huge public rejection of his latest plan.We've got until the end of Tuesday to send our objections to the Department of Health. Let's tell them that we want an NHS that is properly funded and available to everyone, and that we don't want privatisation or to have to pay to get an appointment."

Ed Yelland ● 3943d

I have read the Guardian article and I have read the Consultation paper. I would therefore be fascinated to learn where there is any reference to privatising the NHS in either document."If anyone actually reads the document they'll see that despite the siren calls from The Guardian and 38 Degrees that's there's no proposal to privatise the NHS!" is inaccurate and offensive to people who care about truth rather than what seems to be political party dogma.

Paul Ambridge ● 3943d

Picky semantics and maths ... I do not know if the figures are right but it is 18% increase to go from 5 to 5.9.More accurate would be to say that it was a rise of less than 1 percentage point.

Paul Webster ● 3943d

Also worth saying, everyone has per usual failed to read (including the Guardian).The NHS has a rolling 5 year strategic planning window. To separate the NHS from politics, it was decided quite some time ago that NHS Managers and Clinicians would be responsible for drawing up long term plans.These plans are then put to the Dept of Health who then consult on them every 12 months. So there's no new plan - the strategy drawn up by NHS CEO Simon Stevens still stands - this consultation simply seeks public support for the continuation of them for the next 12 months.It's also worth nothing the following - for 6 years we have repeatedly been told by Labour and the Unions that the Tories are hellbent on privatising the NHS. When Labour left power in 2010 the value of private sector activity (which includes services delivered by Charities like Marie Curie) was around 5% of the NHS budget. At the time of the last election it had reached 5.9% - so less than 1% rise in 5 years. A further point on the "privatisation" debate - Labour saddled the NHS with £80Bn of PFI debt - so when they protest at the privatisation of the NHS one must look at their own record in office and what's happened in the 5 years under the tories - where very little new private sector activity has taken place and almost no PFI.The current £1.6Bn NHS deficit should also be seen in context of the £2-2.5B of interest that the NHS will have to pay this year due to the PFI deals that Labour did.

Ed Yelland ● 3943d

It wasn't kept quiet - it's been on the DH website for the last month.The consultation simply confirms the plan for the next 12 months - the annual plan is part of a standing 5 year strategic planning window.If anyone actually reads the document they'll see that despite the siren calls from The Guardian and 38 Degrees that's there's no proposal to privatise the NHS.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/472043/final_consultation_doc.pdf

Ed Yelland ● 3943d

There seems to be a blinkered ideology of reducing the cost and extent of the state only it is a bit like squeezing a balloon and the problems and costs get pushed elsewhere. Doesn't a lot of the private sector rely on the public sector for work?  So how will there be growth in the economy if you keep on doing cutting?

Philippa Bond ● 3943d

No wonder the document was hidden away by government. It has no hard facts or figures and a lot of the "new" proposals are already in place. It states the government's intention of providing 7 day GP surgeries but nothing about how much it will cost. It does not mention the new Junior Doctor's Contract nor that ALL NHS Trusts are running deficits.It says nothing about the increasing costs of providing a necessary service to an increasingly aged population and how these monies must be found. It says nothing of the government's doctrine of reducing public spending without reference to the harm caused.A Consultation Document should have something to consult on! This flabby excuse for a document has nothing to consult on!

Paul Ambridge ● 3943d

You need to copy and paste the reference into your browser and then read the article.It is a consultation that more people should have been aware of.  One can only presume that someone is looking to make some changes without anybody realising.

Philippa Bond ● 3943d

Not everyone understands these vague references, so more details please?

Bob Little ● 3943d

This is urgent and for some reason seems to have been kept so quiet that nobody knew that we were being consulted.

Philippa Bond ● 3943d