At today Defend London’s NHS rally, the co-leader of the National Health Action Party, Dr Clive Peedell,  addressed the crowd. He attacked the Coalition government’s dismantling of the NHS and targeted the euro elections next year and the 2015 General Election:

“The Coalition Government has abused the democratic process with its unwanted and reckless top down reorganisation. Increasing NHS privatisation is at the heart of the Tories’ aims, which is both ideological and to suit the needs of their party donors and members.

Liberal Democrats have betrayed their grassroots supporters and colluded with the Tories to dismantle our NHS.

“The Coalition must be held to account, and the best way is through the ballot box.

“London has the opportunity to put forward a National Health Action Party candidate in next year’s Euro-elections and gain a European MEP to protect the interests of London’s healthcare and keep it publicly provided. It’s also vital we ensure the NHS is exempted from the EU/US Transatlantic Free trade agreement. Otherwise our healthcare will become locked into privatisation and the restoration of our NHS will not be possible.

“We absolutely need to get MPs elected to influence healthcare policy and sit on the Health Select Committee. We must have a voice at Westminster. That is where we can make a difference – and stand up for our NHS and work towards restoring  a responsible, caring NHS.  We need to relentlessly oppose austerity policies which are damaging our economy and our health.

For press enquiries, please contact:

Giselle Green - 07767 612311

Head of Campaigns & Comms

National Health Action Party

www.nationalhealthaction.org.uk

Statement from NHA Party co-leader, Dr Clive Peedell: “The government’s NHS ‘disorganisation’ and austerity measures are diverting money from emergency services and fuelling the current A&E crisis”: 

“The A&E crisis is a clear example of what happens when the Tories are left in charge of the NHS: £20bn funding cuts, hospital closures and bed closures, an expensive redisorganisation of the NHS taking the focus away from care, a fragmented and privatised NHS 111 service using cheaper and less experienced staff, too much pressure on GPs, and no solution to the social care crisis.

“To make matters even worse, the Coalition Government’s dogged implementation of damaging austerity measures are fuelling the increased demand for A&E. The economic recession increases alcoholism, drug use, depression rates, self harm and suicide, putting pressure on GPs and A+Es.

“The current funding system, which is aimed at trying to cut admissions by only paying hospitals 30% of the normal fee for an emergency admission when the A&E numbers rise above a certain level, is costing hospitals millions. It’s a self-defeating, irresponsible waste of money and typical of thoughtless target-setting by both the Coalition and the previous Labour government.

“It’s clear though that this government is pursuing back door privatisation by running down the public sector.

“The NHA party would stop the NHS funding cuts and divert money wasted on the privatisation and marketisation of our healthcare system into direct patient care by investing in NHS emergency services and improving General Practice with more GPs and community nurses.”

Dr Clive Peedell is in London  today at a BMA meeting (BMA House, Tavistock Square) and is available for interview.

For press enquiries, please contact:

Giselle Green - 07767 612311

Head of Campaigns & Comms

National Health Action Party

www.nationalhealthaction.org.uk

13^th May 2013

As David Cameron meets President Obama in Washington today to discuss a new EU/US trade deal, the National Health Action Party is calling on the Prime Minister to oppose an agreement that will permanently lock the NHS into private contracts.  The NHA Party says it’s crucial  the NHS is exempted from the global trade deal, which will be on the agenda at the G8 in June – otherwise transnational corporations will be able to target the most lucrative parts of the NHS and ensure their contracts are irreversible, making renationalisation of the NHS impossible.

Co-leader of the NHA Party, Dr Clive Peedell, said:

“The NHS is being primed for transnational investors to buy up the most lucrative parts of the healthcare system, under a legal framework which also permits them to sue the UK government in the case of any ‘backsliding’. As more and more private corporations win contracts, the situation will be fixed in an effectively irreversible international trade deal. The NHS will be stuck in a “locked-in syndrome” of increasing privatisation, making renationalisation of the NHS impossible.

 “We call on the Prime Minister to ensure the NHS is exempted from this deal. There can be no excuses. Canada has exempted its health service from trade agreements that its government has signed and has safeguarded its public health system. We need to do the same.”

Yesterday, shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper repeated Labour’s pledge to repeal the Health & Social Care Act. But Dr Peedell says Labour’s  promise is meaningless unless they too oppose the trade deal: 

“This makes Labour’s pledge to repeal the Act (if they are elected in 2015) and defend the NHS from privatisation, a meaningless and hollow one. If the Labour party is serious about being the party of the NHS, it must act now and join the NHA party in calling for the NHS to be exempted from the US/EU Free Trade Agreement.”

For press enquiries, please contact:
Giselle Green 07767 612311

www.nationalhealthaction.org.uk

Notes to editors:

The EU/US Free Trade Agreement, which David Cameron identified as a priority in his chairing of the G8 this year, was given the go-ahead by US President Obama and EU President Barroso in January.  One of the key aims of this Free Trade Agreement is to give international corporations legal rights to access governments’ public services budgets. The NHS is part of UK ‘public procurement’ and is therefore a target of “international investors” and the transnational healthcare industry.

Healthcare has been specifically mentioned as a form of trade to be included in the “harmonising regulation” of the Agreement, which aims to prevent “future trade barriers” in keeping with the demands of transnational corporations. .

The Health and Social Care Act and its secondary legislation were framed to fit with the harmonising process of the  the US/EU Free Trade Agreement. This framework means that publicly funded English health services will be obliged to tender out contracts. Large transnational corporations will have a competitive advantage in the bidding process, and be in a position to weather the very low current tariffs until public sector, charity and social enterprise providers without their deep pockets are driven out of business.

A petition to exempt the NHS from the treaty has been launched.  http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/47102

The leader of the National Health Action Party says the NHS is now facing increasing privatisation, greater inefficiency, wasted money and rising waiting lists, following last night’s vote in the Lords.

A Labour motion to annul controversial privatisation regulations was defeated by 145 votes to 242, with Lib Dems siding with the Tories.

Dr Clive Peedell, who co-founded the NHA Party in the wake of widespread and serious concerns at the Health & Social Care Act, said the repercussions for the NHS were grim and the vote last night was an outrage:

“Last night’s defeat of Labour’s motion to annul the S75 NHS privatisation regulations was an affront to the democratic process. Many who voted had vested interests in private companies, which will benefit from these marketising and privatising regulations.

“The ambiguity of these regulations will create a goldmine for lawyers. CCGs will fear the risk of legal challenge from private companies if they don’t put services out to tender. With cash strapped budgets, they cannot afford the potential legal costs if such actions.

“The NHS now threatens to be increasingly privatised and fragmented over the coming years. This will lead to greater inefficiency and wasted resources, which should be spent on frontline care. The NHS is already under huge financial strain and these changes will lead to greater rationing of care, service closures, hospital mergers, less patient choice, rising waiting lists and ultimately a move towards a mixed funding system of health care. There was no democratic mandate for this. The public deserve better than this and the National Health Action party will do its upmost to highlight this betrayal of the electorate.

“The main priorities now are to raise public awareness of the privatisation of English healthcare services, support Lord Owen’s NHS reinstatement bill, and pressurise the Labour Party to stick to their promise of making the NHS the preferred provider of NHS services.

“This is a very sad day for the NHS but we simply must not give up on a much loved institution that forms the heart of the social fabric of this nation. We will continue to strive for an NHS that is publicly funded, publicly provided and publicly accountable. That is the most efficient and fair way to deliver a healthcare service for all.”

For press enquiries please call:
Giselle Green

07767 612311