est Briton Newspaper – Truro

From “Keep our NHS Public Cornwall”

C/O, Press Secretary, Chris Dayus, 7 Lychgate Drive, Truro, TR1 3UE.

Title – End NHS Privatisation.

Since the coalition government passed the Health & Social Care Bill, there has been an explosion of privatisation across the NHS.

In Cornwall we have direct experience of the Private sector.  Running car parking at RCHT, making profit from those who have no choice but to pay extortionate prices to park at the hospitals. Serco, running the G.P. “Out of hours” service. During the life of the contract they have generated a catalogue of problems and incidents, clearly evidencing poor quality of services to patients.  The Patient Treatment Centre in Bodmin, badged as an NHS treatment centre is actually run by Ramsay Healthcare. Community Health Services across Cornwall are provided by Peninsula Community Health, a social Enterprise.

Most recently we have seen the transfer of ambulance patient transport services to NSL and Hotel Services to Mitie a private equity company. Both NSL and Mitie have recently featured in the news as providing poor service to patients and even worse, reportedly compromising patient safety.

This is evidence that the private sector do not improve services for patients, their objective is to provide profits for shareholders.

On the 21 November MP’s are being given the chance to support a private members bill. If passed it would end many of the damaging aspects of the “top down” reorganisation of the NHS. It would remove the requirement to put services out to competition and promote integration to provide improved patient care.

We urge readers to support this move to save the NHS, and end private profits. Please lobby your MP to support the Bill and the NHS they claim to value.

Also sign the online petition being run by the TUC at www.unionstogether.org which also has further information and details of events being organised on the 15 November in support of the Bill.