Is the NHS really safe in Tory hands?

Here is a news item from North Yorkshire which never made it onto the national headlines

A York-based practice has written to its patients offering them a range of minor treatments privately, claiming they are not funded by the local NHS.

Doctors' leaders said this could be the start of a worrying trend due to the squeeze on finances and NHS overhaul.

The letter, seen by the BBC, said local health chiefs had stopped funding a range of services, but added they could still have them done privately at a number of clinics, including one owned by the practice.

These included removing skin tags from £56.30 to treating benign tumours for £243.20.

Dr Richard Vautrey, of the British Medical Association, added: "The dire finances of many trusts means that many more NHS treatments are likely to become unavailable in the future".

Strange how just 2 years ago I had two 'skin tags/moles' removed by my GP FREE of charge under the Labour run NHS..........

Now the question is are these letters, which are being sent out, part of the Tory plan of NHS privatisation by stealth or are they just GP looking to make a fast buck under the guise of the Tory's plan of NHS privatisation by stealth?

We await mr Lansley's comments..........Do we have an MP in the room/house who will ask him the question?

My Auntie resides in a Nursing home, because she has schitsophrenia and some physical problems, she is and has been recieving mental health nursing care free. Now she is to have a new assesment done to see if she actually needs mental health nursing care, if not her status will be that of a resident in a care home, where she will have her pension taken to pay for her care. All that has happened over the past several years is that she has got worse, her Doctor knows this, her Social Worker, knows this as does her Care Manager, My Cousin her Son says that reading between the lines and going by what people are telling him, it is nothing other than an exersize in penny pinching.
There we have it thanks to new Tory policy and cuts, a sick woman of  83 years is having her pension nicked to cover part of what Herr Camerons mates the Bankers lost. Just how low will this bunch of curs will go is anyones guess, personally I think they are only scratching the surface, and much wors will come, just to cover the cock up Cameron, Gideon and Chopper Clegg are making of the economy.

The unpopular changes to the NHS Bill are currently in the House of Lords. Their Lordships are in no doubt that many important members of the Medical Establishment are very unhappy with the proposed changes. It is evident that Tory dogma is driving the speed at which legislation is being rushed through in case there is no second term for them, but there is ample opportunity for amendment in The Lords.

this came from 38 degrees at the end of Sept -
Soon the House of Lords starts voting on Andrew Lansley’s dangerous NHS plans. They have a choice - will they force the government to make changes to protect our NHS? Or will they wave through plans that threaten our health service?

It's not going to be easy. But some key members of the House of Lords are already saying they have big concerns about the government's NHS plans. [1] If we work together, we really could persuade enough of them to vote the right way.

Here's the plan to protect our NHS:
- contact every member of the House of Lords about the need to make changes to the NHS plans
- put the Lords face to face with experts who can explain in detail why these NHS plans are so dangerous

The Lords start voting in just 2 weeks time - we’re on a very tight deadline to get this started. If enough of us chip in to raise £20,000, we can get going right now.

Click on the link below to find out more and help make it happen:

Thousands of 38 Degrees members voted to decide our plan for persuading the House of Lords to protect the NHS. [2] £20,000 will mean we can put that plan into action. It will mean we can:

1. Pay for our legal team and other experts to hold briefing sessions in the House of Lords

2. Build a brand new “email a Lord” web tool to make it easier to contact a member of the House of Lords with messages about the NHS

3. Post letters to all 788 members of the House of Lords, setting out the problems with the NHS bill

4. Get fresh advice from our legal experts quickly if the government announces new changes to its proposals

The Lords start voting in just two weeks. Chip in now, and we'll get started this weekend:
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I feel the debate is this week, will it set fire to the hall or be the usual talking shop whitewash?

Typical socialist shyte, "give us some of your money" as if that will change anything. How far do you think £20,000 will go before they start asking you for more, why not simply sign your wages over to the thieving "solicitors" who are probably going to use it to enhance their own positions.

Why not join the existing e-petitions that are available to parliament. Remember the amount of money being spent is going up, it's simply being redirected from administration to the front line services.

THE GOVERNMENT IS INCREASING SPENDING ON THE NHS ?
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During the election campaign of 2010 the Conservatives had no choice other than to make a pledge to protect the NHS from cuts to public services, they did this because (1) they know that the general public do not trust the Conservatives with the NHS and (2) it was a good vote winner.

And so one year ago the settlement figures were announced for the health budget by Andrew Lansley.

The NHS did get an above inflation rise in spending, but only just, the settlement figure for this Parliament is 0.1% ( a fraction of 1 percent ) above inflation, this figure is just about the worst settlement in the history of the NHS.

HOWEVER - in the small print - the NHS has been ordered to hand over £1 Billion per year to the social care fund, basicly this alone wipes out the 0.1% so called increase in NHS spending, the fact is that the NHS will have to make large cuts to services because they ARE been starved of funds.

The Conservatives are back in power - the waiting lists are begining to rise again - the NHS will start to deteriorate just as it did between 1979 and 1997.

It sounds a bit like sabotage. The Tories will simply gut NHS to the point where people will actually want privatized medicine. Reduce the number of available treatments here, increase the wait times there ... fiddle, fiddle, fiddle ... and before you know it, enough people may get fed up enough with NHS that they, themselves, will push for privatization.

Only take this from someone who lives in a nation without NHS ... don't EVER privatize or you'll be paying more for your insurance premiums than you do on your house and car combined. And that's no joke. Conservative Americans might try to hoodwink you into believing that you can get an affordable policy for $200/month ... and you can. It's just that it doesn't cover anything important. The cost of health care will end up shifted to you and to your employer ... and if your employer has to pay exorbitant costs to cover you, guess what'll happen. Can we say pink slips in the mail? Can we say stagnant job growth?

My father has to pay over $1300 per month to cover himself and his wife. Imagine if he still had young children to cover, as well! One of my friends pays no less than 25% of her pay check *every week* to cover her health care, and even simple blood tests are *not* covered under this policy. It's a lesson in chaos since you never quite know what insurance will pay for and what it won't.

Remember - the insurance industry is the only business on the planet that makes money by *not* providing you with the services you pay for.

Just read the post (above) from Shirina

It realy does open your eyes as to how the American healthcare system works, or should I say DOSENT WORK, the figures are amazing and to think of what you dont get for all that money, all I can say is greedy insurance companies.

Each nation has its good points and bad points, I think that we over here in the UK have a far superior healthcare system, no one is ever frightened or worried about how much healthcare will cost them, no one lives in fear of going to the doctor, clinic or hospital.

The Conservative Americans just dont get it - free, basic healthcare for all should be a basic right, and these same people are usualy the Bible bashing type, believers in a good clean Christian upbringing, would TRUE Christianity give better healthcare only to those with lots of money. ?

This is the nearest I can find as to what is going on -

07 October 2011.


The Health and Social Care Bill has its second reading in the House of Lords – a debate on general principles – on Tuesday 11 October. Ninety-five Members of the Lords are scheduled to take part in the two-day debate.

To accommodate the number of speakers, a motion has been tabled – which will be debated on Monday 10 October – to enable the debate to take place before oral questions and the House to sit at 11am. Oral questions would be taken at 2.30pm.

Watch the live debate on Parliament TV (available Tuesday 11 October)
Read a transcript of the debate from Today in the Lords (available approximately three hours after the debate begins)
Bills before Parliament: Health and Social Care Bill
Lords Library Note: Health and Social Care Bill

Lord Rea (Labour), former lecturer at St.Thomas’ Hospital Medical School and GP, and member of the National Heart Forum, has tabled a motion that, if passed, would mean the Bill would go no further in the House of Lords and could not pass into law in this session of Parliament.

Lord Owen (Crossbench), physician and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health (1974-76), has tabled a motion, which will be debated if Lord Rea’s motion is not agreed, that would have the effect of sending certain clauses of the Bill to a select committee.

The Bill, which started in the Commons, aims to: change how NHS care is commissioned through the greater involvement of clinicians and a new NHS Commissioning Board; improve accountability and patient voice; give NHS providers new freedoms to improve quality of care; and establish a provider regulator to promote efficiency. In addition, the Bill will underpin the creation of Public Health England, and take forward measures to reform health public bodies.

Contributors to the debate

Members of the Lords due to contribute to the debate are:
Lord Warner (Labour) member of the Commission on Funding of Care and Support – the Dilnot Commission, which published its report in July 2011; Minister of State at the Department of Health (2003-06), Director of Social Services, Kent County Council (1985-91);
Lord Fowler (Conservative) chair of House of Lords Select Committee on HIV and AIDS in the UK, which published report No vaccine, no cure: HIV and AIDS in the United Kingdom in September 2011;
Lord Low of Dalston (Crossbench), currently leading the independent review of Personal Mobility in State Funded Residential Care – The Low Review – which is due to publish its recommendation in November 2011;
Lord Darzi of Denham (Labour) Hamlyn Chair of Surgery at Imperial College London, Department of Health: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 2007-09;
Lord Turnberg (Labour), led the 1997 Strategic Review into London’s health services; President of the Royal College of Physician, Dean of Medicine at the University of Manchester (1986-89), member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology (2001-05);
Lord Crisp (Crossbench) Permanent Secretary of the UK Department of Health and chief executive of the NHS (2000-06);
Lord Hutton of Furness (Labour), Parliamentary
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more at w.parliament.uk/business/news/2011/october1/health-and-social-care-bill-2nd-reading-/

place in your own www's as I am not permitted to for a week.

I realy like this post which I came accross on the 38 Degrees Campaign blogg >>

As an ex ward sister I have kept a keen eye on the progress of this bill and I have two serious questions.

How will replacing 165 bodies (PCTs and SHAs etc) with 500 new bodies (clinical commissioning groups and sectors) reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency? This is also likely to throw up much postcode prescribing.

Can it be " right" that GPs can set up companies so that they can refer themselves their own patients and get paid twice? This is already happening.

NHS reforms: A retired nurse's viewEileen Smith, 79, is a retired nurse and midwife who worked as a nurse and midwife for the NHS since its creation in 1948



part of
Interview by Jonathan Paige guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 12 October 2011 08.30 BST Article history


When I was a little girl I used to suffer from earache. I remember my parents used to say, "Is it really bad?" because they knew they would have to pay. At the age of seven you begin to realise, so I said "no, it's not too bad," and actually I got a perforated eardrum. In those days people did suffer. There was very little preventative medicine.

You really felt that wave of relief when the NHS was established.

In the early years people were still aware that the NHS was something new, to be appreciated. Whereas I think now people take it for granted and don't think it will ever go away – and I'm afraid that it is.

We noticed changes to the service taking place during Margaret Thatcher's era, when we had privatisation of domestic services. As a ward sister, as far as I was concerned, the person doing the cleaning was part of the team. Because of that she was loyal to the ward and the standard of cleaning was really high. When you bring in a private company you lose that loyalty because they don't just work on your ward. I believe the spread of MRSA occurred during that period.

As the reforms continue the NHS will be completely fragmented. It will no longer be an integrated and co-ordinated health service. As a ward sister I could speak to the district nurses and I could discuss various things that they might like to implement before sending patients home. I think that we'll lose that. The private hospitals want to give the attention to the patient while they're in hospital, then when they get home they're on their own. I don't see this improving continuity of care at all.

I think fragmentation's a very dangerous thing, as is the profit motive. Sadly, I think the people who are pushing it are people who've got investments in the private healthcare industry. Everything in the health service has a price now and it was only done in order to bring in privatisation.

There it is. Tory ideology, turn everything into profit making for the few at the expense of the many. Same old Tories, same old Thatcher idealism.

There should be a Bill brought before the Houses of Parliment which will force MP's and Lords to use only the NHS for their healthcare needs.

A total prohibition on their use of Private Health....

That would focus their minds on what the NHS should be........

An excellent idea astradt.

The situation is I suspect many MP's and Lords in particular have shares in these private health companies and probably obtain free private treatment.

Latest: All Labour peers voted for the Owen-Hennessy amendment, but the crossbench vote itself was almost evenly divided across the two divisions with 46 in support and 51 against. No Tories voted for the amendment, but 193 TORIES voted against along with 80 LIB DEMS and six others.

Nick Clegg's team had been under pressure to deliver Liberal Democrat peers to vote against the amendment despite some of their senior figures saying at last month's party conference they still had reservations. Lady Nicholson and Lady Tonge WERE THE ONLY Lib Dem peers to vote against the government. Lady Shirley Williams, a leading Lib Dem opponent of the bill, may not to have voted.

What a bloody farce!!!!!!!

I wonder if the timing of the following three reports have anything to do with the House of Lords vote on the NHS........

NHS 'fails to match Euro standards'
Thousands of people may be dying unnecessarily in an NHS that "is too centralised, overly-managed by politicians and is too insulated from competition", a lobby group has said.
Analysis of mortality figures by the TaxPayers' Alliance suggests almost 12,000 extra deaths occurred in the UK in 2008 than would have been the case if the UK had matched the average rates for several European countries.

Cash problems hit NHS trust moves
Most NHS trusts are struggling to become foundation trusts - as demanded by the Government - due to financial problems, according to a new report.
The National Audit Office (NAO) study said that of those trusts in England yet to achieve foundation trust status, 80% face financial issues, 65 are tackling issues over governance and leadership.
Some financial problems are long-standing, including costly private finance initiative (PFI) schemes. Many of these projects were introduced under Labour.
But trusts are also struggling due to the Government's efficiency drive, which means the NHS must find around £20 billion of savings by 2013/14.
The Government has already scrapped a deadline for trusts to achieve foundation trust status by April 2014, as set down in the original Health and Social Care Bill. However, it expects the majority of NHS trusts to become foundation trusts by April 2014, either on their own or through merger, with all expected to do so "as soon as clinically feasible".

Hospitals' elderly care criticised
A fifth of NHS hospitals are breaking the law on care of the elderly, according to a new report, with two trusts given prior warnings still leaving patients without intravenous fluids and one incontinent patient left unwashed despite asking for help.
The study, from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), found half of hospitals are failing to provide all-round good nutrition to elderly patients while 40% do not offer dignified care.
Of 100 hospitals investigated in England, 49 were found to have minor, moderate or major concerns about nutritional standards for elderly people.

Sourse AOL news...

They can of course be used to support this governments policy of wholesale change to the NHS.......

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] ( guardian.co.uk)

" It's wonderful, Mr Cameron - and since Agnes and her sister died , only the two of us have had to share that bed..."

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] ( daily mail.co.uk)

" Doctor, am I a hypochondriac...?"

" No, relax - you're just a hypocrite..."

Thousands of people may be dying unnecessarily in an NHS that "is too centralised, overly-managed by politicians and is too insulated from competition", a lobby group has said.

Analysis of mortality figures by the TaxPayers' Alliance suggests almost 12,000 extra deaths occurred in the UK in 2008 than would have been the case if the UK had matched the average rates for several European countries.
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Mortality rates in virtualy every area have been continuing to improve in the UK, catching up with the European average, but what will happen now. ?

The TaxPayers Alliance is an organisation renowned for its very pro-Conservative views, and for its very anti-public service views, it is an organisation which would probably privatize the royal family if it could, and one should treat anything it comes up with - with suspicion.

With regards to competition, let me quote you what Mr Peter Fisher said the other day "the essence of medicine is co-operation not competition", Mr Fisher is president of the NHS consultants association.

I am fully aware of the financial problems facing the NHS, my wife is a member of the NHS Consultants Association, the squeeze is on, and it has little to do with over-centralisation, too much management or any other excuse that the government comes up with.

The problem with the NHS at present is that it is suffering from the worst financial settlement from the government in its history, it is short of funds, but the government and the Tax Payers Alliance would have you believe that the NHS can do more with less rescources - get blood out of a stone.

The Tax Payers Alliance are more or less a bunch of middle class Tories who resent contributing anything towards public services, they are yes men for the right wing of the Tory party.

The Tax Payers Alliance are more or less a bunch of middle class Tories who resent contributing anything towards public services, they are yes men for the right wing of the Tory party.

But seem to have overlooked the fact that Private Health Insurance is costly, and liable to be withdrawn if too many claims are made.

"Doctor, I think I am ill!"


Yeeeeees? What are the symptoms?"



"Why!, a yellow cartoon family from America!"

Despite pledges by David Cameron, huge cuts take place in frontline healthcare.
Birth centres are closing, patients are being denied pain-relieving drugs and leaflets advising parents how to prevent cot death have been scrapped.
Visits from health visitors, support for problem drinkers is being reduced
People with diabetes and leg ulcers are seeing less of the district nurses. Specialists delivering psychological therapies are under threat and a growing number of hospitals are reducing the number of nurses and midwives to balance their books. David Cameron's election pledges was: "I'll cut the deficit, not the NHS."
Walk-in centres are closing and anti-obesity programmes are being scaled back and hospitals reducing the number of nurses and midwives they employ.

All pretty disgusting and confirmation that Cameron is a Con man first and foremost. How may more promises are to be broken?

He is in government under false pretences, the people know it but can do nothing about it, or know not how to do something about it. Perhaps they need a lesson from the French on that question.

It isn't real dishonesty on the part of Cameron. The Tory Party have NEVER supported the idea of state-provided medicine.

It's totally unrealistic to imagine that the NHS will ever be "safe in their hands".

Get real, People!

So support for fatties, support for drinkers, no district nurse to hold somebody with diabetes hand. Me Granny would a wept to listen to such shyte. Do you really believe that the purpose of the NHS was to hold the hand of everybody or help those in need through no fault of their own. Remember it was Labour that sold the NHS down the river with selling all the buildings to private companies and renting them back at ridiculous prices. Grow up and show something this bunch of government f*ckwits have done, rather than blame them for the failings of the previous idiots.

So if you become a "fattie"(many have illness that contributes to weight gain) or have had a drink problem (many have turned to drink in desperation),or you are unfortunate to have diabetes, you should be left to die?

This rings bells of ignorance , selfish, uncaring dog eat dog, I'm alright jack
attitude. Typical Tory attitude.

These sort of people are the first to squeal when they become ill and find they are not being treated to their satisfaction.
Of course these are the ones who no doubt can afford private health care.
God help them if they ever come to need that care. Those that have never suffered, no seen a family member suffer, for whatever cause, may well have a nasty shock awaiting them.

There is a common theme running throughout the NHS - Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians. Degree-level Nurses are a clear asset, but may not be "available" when a patient needs a bedpan.

PURLEEZE OW!!!

Nurses are rarely to be seen as ar5ewipe5!

The nursing auxilliaries see to that!!

Nursing auxiliaries? An endangered species, apparently.

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" NHS bill will lead to situation where healthcare is like budget airline with limited seats", says chair of Royal College of GPs

He is correct, the question is will Cameron listen? Not a cat in hell chance as he is obviously not going to allow a mere College Chairman to stand in his way of privatising the NHS as fast as he can, along with other Tory ideological measures, before he is kicked out on his posh arse.

Cameron Hones his Bedside Manner
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.](birminghammail.net)

" Bad news, old fellow - we're getting a bit short of beds so we either want you to get better or die as soon as possible..."

[b]What is going on in the NHS or NHS in my neck of the woods.
Five years ago I was diagnosed with a type of Leukaemia.
I was told by the consultant that I must have the flu jab every year.
After a lot of questions as to why I need it they have given it to me.
Not this year though.Today was the first flu clinic of the year.
They refused me it point blank.
I phoned the hospital that I am under for this condition.They could not believe it.
I am now pondering what to do.Phone GP on Monday or see a lawyer?

Don't you think the Lawyers are wealthy enough?

Didn't you know that with this New Improved Tory NHS there is no need for the Flu jab as they are certain you will not catch it or next week you will get a letter from your GP saying that if you pay £20 you can have the jab.........As I said New and Improved...........

Remember the Tories say your GP knows you best..........

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Thanks to the BBC for this one -

The running of an NHS hospital in Cambridge will be taken over by a private company in February, in a £1bn, 10-year deal.

The company Circle will assume the financial risks of making Cambridgeshire's Hinchingbrooke Hospital more efficient and paying off its £40m debt, although the hospital will remain part of the NHS.


Is this the start - the "pioneer chore" closing in?

If people in the NHS can't run a Hospital without running up Millions of debt, it's a stroke of pure inspiration to give the job to a French company with absolutely no experience of running a hospital.

Move over Greece!

On Question Time at the moment Nadine Dorris has said that if this privatization of this hospital it should be rolled out to other hospitals.

She seems to be sure that the care will be better..........because it's being provided by a private company..........As some in the audiance pointed Southern Cross was a private company.......

The ex SC homes are in trouble!

Staff have learned that other homes are paying more money per hour and are leaving in droves.
As OW has already alluded, staff are hard to find in this area of work, and with OW's "Law of Unexpected Consequences" (thanks) because they have to be certificated, you cannot walk off of the street to perform this worthwhile task!

So while trying to keep ex SC care homes going, it is not going to happen without a considerable payrise for the staff IMO
That is the case according to Newcastle, Sunderland and South Shields.

Things They Wished They'd Said...

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] ( epolitix.com)

" Having a bloated blubber-wobbling fat git like you as Minister of Health is a strange choice is it not, Mr Burns..?"

Haven't you met the Minister for Culture?

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Is anyone or anything safe in Tory hands? 180 pensioners died every day as a result of cold conditions during the 2010-11 winter months in England and Wales. Over-65s accounted for 84% of the overall 25,700 ‘excess’ deaths.
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For this winter, and despite massive hikes in gas and electricity prices, the Tory-led government has cut the pensioners' Winter Fuel Allowance............