CHELTENHAM MP backs further amends to Health Bill

CHELTENHAM MP Martin Horwood is to back further amendments to the government’s Health and Social Care Bill which is being considered again by the House of Commons today and tomorrow. Lib Dem MPs Andrew George and Greg Mulholland and Green MP Caroline Lucas have tabled a series of amendments addressing remaining concerns about the bill, including the power of the Secretary of State to provide – as well as secure - healthcare and the promotion of collaboration and integration in the health service as well as competition.

Martin met Lib Dem health minister Paul Burstow today to discuss the bill and to explain his own amendments to the bill on the status of public health within the new NHS.*

More than a thousand amendments are already being made to Conservative Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s original draft of the bill, following opposition at the spring Liberal Democrat conference in Sheffield and from campaigners and health professionals.

Martin commented: ‘The Lib Dems have already questioned and challenged Andrew Lansley over this bill and produced some important changes. There are more safeguards against cherry-picking of profitable services by private companies, the promotion of competition by the regulatory body has been replaced with promoting the interests of patients, GPs are no longer going to be in sole charge of local healthcare commissioning and that can never be passed on to private companies.’

‘But I am nevertheless prepared to support further amendments, if they are put to a vote, to put beyond doubt the right of the secretary of state to provide – as well as secure – a comprehensive health service and to make clear that integration and collaboration are more important to the NHS than competition. My own amendments are designed to prevent the fragmentation of the public health profession which is currently part of the NHS but which will be transferred to local authorities under the new bill.’

‘I have received significant reassurances from Paul Burstow that protections against privatisation, cherry-picking and excessive competition are already much stronger in the revised bill but I’m also very aware of the significant concerns of many of my constituents, including health professionals, and would be happier to see a belt-and-braces approach to these issues. The bill was always going to guarantee the continuation of healthcare provided free at the point of delivery and funded by the NHS and I’m not afraid of private providers like those we have now in Gloucestershire such as Sue Ryder and the Cobalt charity. But I cannot see the harm in further strengthening the bill’s protections against more predatory competition’.

‘If we don’t achieve these amendments over the next couple of days in the House of Commons, I hope similar ones will be made in the House of Lords when the bill moves forward.’