- Conference
- 2007 Retired Members' Conference
- Date
- 13 June 2007
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes the Government’s latest interference with the National Health Service (NHS) So far, two insert “CATS (Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Support Services) have been agreed in Lancashire, both in the same NHS Foundation Trust, which covers two hospitals. One is to be provided by a South African company and sited near to one of the hospitals, the other is to be established within and run by the other hospital. Many more are in the pipeline and are more likely to be provided by a private company rather than within the NHS.
Before hospital closures and mergers started, most hospitals were serviced by a good bus service, now patients have to travel on two or three buses in order to reach the hospital. Public transport is used mainly by the elderly, who are on limited, often low, income and find it difficult to get to the hospital or where the CATS are being set up. Taxis are expensive and relatives cannot always take the time off work to take them notwithstanding that we, the elderly, like to maintain our independence.
This Conference, through our National Retired Members’ Committee calls upon the National Executive Council
1)to take every opportunity to oppose the marketisation of health services and
2)to support the continued provision of local health services to enable patients, particularly pensioneres, to reach them easily and cheaply.