“The Government is creating a Frankenstein Bill that should be thrown out now”, said Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today. The fact that the Government is accepting the bulk of the Future Forum’s recommendations, simply underlines just how damaging the Health and Social Care Bill was and is to the NHS.
Dave Prentis, went on to say:
“The Government is creating a monster and the NHS is the victim. The Bill will pave the way for private companies to grab any part of the NHS where they think they can turn a profit. Once the NHS is opened up to competition, it becomes subject to European Competition laws and there is no turning back.
“It is a pathetic sight to see the Lib Dems crowing about their supposed success in arm wrestling the Government into accepting big changes to the Bill. The fact is the scale of the outcry against the Bill from UNISON, health bodies, patients, charities and health professionals made it impossible for the Government to ignore the clamour for change.
“However, no amount of change can disguise this Frankenstein Bill – it is a recipe for privatisation.”