“Any MP who votes for the Health and Social Care Bill next week is voting for the end of the NHS” said Christina McAnea, UNISON Head of Health today (4 September).
The comment follows revelations in the Observer today, of e-mails from senior officials at the Department of Health, discussing plans to bring in international companies to take over the management of 10 to 20 NHS hospitals.
Christina McAnea, went on to say:
“Regardless of what Cameron and Clegg say in public, it is clear that behind
the scenes the Government is planning to privatise the NHS.
“Private companies will only run hospitals if they see a profit in it. This, together with lifting the cap off the number of private patients NHS hospitals can treat, will completely change the culture of the NHS. It will be profits before patients.
“We demand that the Government come clean on their plans. If this is true, patient choice is a complete sham. The move to any qualified provider is clearly about creating a market for private companies.