Serious concerns about health service changes (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

Kirklees Liberal Democrats <info@kirkleeslibdems.org.uk>

Serious concerns about health service changes

December 23, 2005 10:48 AM

Concerns about health service reforms

Cllr Ann Raistrick, Liberal Democrat Member for Cleckheaton Ward, is very concerned by Government plans to significantly change the way NHS services in the Community are delivered. She is also concerned that these changes will be introduced without adequate consultations and public debate.

Planned changes to the structure of both Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities throughout the UK, which were first announced during the Summer Holiday period by Sir Nigel Crisp , Chief Executive of the NHS, will affect tens of thousands of NHS staff and patients.

Cllrs Raistrick says, "The announcement of these changes to the NHS, comes literally days after the Secretary for Health (Patricia Hewiit) committed the Government to a nationwide public consultation on the future of care outside of hospitals . This, in effect, renders the Government's commitment to public consultation on this issue meaningless, the major decision regarding the future of the NHS having, apparently, already been made. Whilst attending a seminar in the last seven days on this issue I was witness to the speaker unequivocally stating for delegates that these plans "will happen". The way in which the government has tried to slip these changes through during the Summer Period while people are on holiday is reprehensible as is the lack of opportunity for media coverage and public debate".

The announced NHS reforms which could see tens of thousands of district, school and mental health nurses, health visitors and community midwives and other health professionals being transferred out of NRS Primary Care Trusts into the employ of, as of yet, unidentified independent sector employers, are of great concern to Cllr Raistrick who, herself, worked as a nurse for 40 years.

Cllr Raistrick says "I have serious concerns regarding conditions of employment if all of these services are outsourced. An even greater cause for concern is the possible erosion of standards of care. I seriously question both the willingness and ability of organisations, other than the NHS, to offer both satisfactory training and career development structures to health care staff that will ensure they are kept up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of health care. If independent sector providers fail to do this, they will not be able to maintain standards and patients will suffer.