Early day motion against health outsourcing

the EDM below has been submitted by Timothy Farron (a Lib Dem). It would seem that trying to get our MPs to sign up to this would be a good idea.



Subject: Early Day Motion (ICATS)House of Commons - Early Day Motions
Date tabled: 14 December 2006
INDEPENDENT SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN THE NHS

Tim Farron

That this House notes Department of Health plans to hand clinical assessment treatment and support (CATS) services in Cumbria and Lancashire for general surgery, ear nose and throat, gynaecology, urology, orthapaedics and rheumatology to an independent sector provider; further notes that some elective surgery is also to be handed to independent sector providers in Cumbria and Lancashire; expresses grave concern that the private companies Netcare and Capio have been identified as preferred bidders for these services without any consultation with NHS staff or the public; is concerned that the proposed handing over of 70 per cent. of referrals to independent-sector run CATS service centres will lead to huge reductions in income for NHS trusts, leading to job losses, financial destabilisation and possible hospital closures; opposes the handing over of further NHS funds to profit-making independent companies; fears that the increased transfer of services to the independent sector will lead to the cherry-picking of the most lucrative NHS services, leaving the NHS only with those services that are not profitable; is not aware of evidence to suggest that the transfer of NHS services to the independent sector constitutes equivalent value for money or medical safety to providing services inside the NHS; and calls upon the Government to suspend plans to introduce additional independent sector involvement in the NHS until a full appraisal of the costs and benefits of this strategy to date has been undertaken.