Privatisation Of NHS Community Health Care Going Unnoticed

Whilst the major thrust of the Tory government’s Health And Care Services Act 2012 is to privatise the NHS in total, public awareness of how insipid and numerous the vultures of private healthcare companies profiteering from NHS service provision are, is virtually nil!

Concentrating on hospitals, as the media does when it rarely reports on private healthcare companies involvement, it totally ignores just what is happening to NHS services provided in the local community.

Whole swaves of services, e.g. Physiotherapy, Adult Hearing, Sexual Health, Podiatry, Dermotology, Fracture Clinics, psychological therapy; as a result of the ‘any qualified provider’ principle in the HCS Act 2012.

Despite government assertions that competition in community healthcare services will be good for patients, the truth is the opposite. Virgincare have already made it clear to all GP practices in their areas that patients referred to their physiotherapy services will only received 4 treatments on the NHS, anymore than that will have to be paid for by the patient direct or be referred back to their GPs!

The situation for Public Health services and campaigns is even worse, with them being transferred next April out of the remit of the NHS and solely into the hands of local councils. Services such as sexual health campaigns, stop smoking, dietary and workplace wellbeing will no longer exist as local councils are financially crushed by government policies on local government funding.

The true scale of the privatisation of Community Health services can be seen both by the number of private companies involved and the speed and number of services across the whole of England which are being ‘handed over’ under the ‘Any Qualified Provider’ Tory principle.

But this is only just the beginning, already 49% of hospital beds are being allocated for the use of private healthcare patients, which robs capacity from NHS patient beds, resulting in huge waiting lists, delayed treatment; and ultimately worse patient health and even deaths!

Chris Ingram, website editor commented:

“The twins of evil:  Tory policy on the NHS as outlined by Oliver Letwin in October 2004, and the Libdem support as a partner in the coalition government; now ensures that the NHS will be destroyed and taken over completely by private healthcare as in the USA by 2020.”

Source: NHS Support Federation

Further info: List of Private Healthcare Companies active in providing NHS healthcare services on behalf of the NHS

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