Save Our NHS.

Feb 25, 2011 14:17

Save Our NHS. If you're a Brit, you might want to sign this petition, urging your MP to vote against the 3rd reading of the hugely unpopular Health and Social Care Bill in the House of Commons.

About the bill

The government’s proposed Health and Social Care BIll represents the most radical change to the NHS is its 60 year history. The Bill will alter the way the NHS works by increasing commercial competition and changing the way services are commissioned and paid for.

There has been competition within the NHS for some time, although so far this has been mainly confined to the provision of services. The proposed legislation would fundamentally change this model so that the planning and commissioning of services would be subject to greater market forces, rather than being planned for the benefit of everybody, regardless of who they are or where they live.

We think these drastic measures will eventually lead to inequality between different areas of the country, reduced public accountability and generally poorer levels of patient care. The reforms could also lead to some services being cancelled altogether if they are not ‘commercially viable’ - this could leave vulnerable and under-represented groups - such as the elderly or disabled - at greater risk of losing out.

The financial cost of these reforms will be immense, and will take its toll on NHS budgets, which are already being squeezed by cuts.

Most of the major groups representing British healthcare professionals have voiced serious concerns about the scope and speed of the plans, including The British Medical Association, The Royal College of Surgeons, The Royal College of Nursing, The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, Unite and Unison - to name just a few.

Many healthcare charities have also come out against the reforms, including The Alzheimer’s Society, Asthma UK, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Diabetes UK, National Voices, Rethink, The British Heart Foundation and The Stroke Association.
The petition will ask for you name and postcode, so that it can inform your MP that you, as a member of her/his constituency are signing it, and urging her/him to take action accordingly. You can also choose to have your name excluded from being listed on the website (under the statistics section) if you want to.

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