Petitions

Another great petition that is worth signing...

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/NHSprivatisation/

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Stop the diversion of National Health Service monies to the private sector through the award of contracts to private companies to establish CATS centres."

Privatision is creeping across the NHS. We must call a halt to it - I urge people to sign.

Stuart

Big pharma attacks complementary therapies

The pharma lobby have attacked university courses in complementary therapies as 'gobbledygook'. Hardly a surprise...

Big pharma has little interest in seeing other approaches to health care being promoted - they are interested in the sale of drugs and the subsequent profits only. This attack has come from Professor Colquhoun, of University College London's department of pharmacology.

Perhaps Prof Colquhoun ought to complete one of these degrees? Surely it would be difficult to understand it without sitting at least half way through the course, especially if you come from a field that has little understanding of CM!

Stuart

Parking charges

So hospitals are raking it in through car park charges. It is a difficult one this, on the one hand we need to discourage the use of cars, on the other hospital car park charges often hit poor and vulnerable people.

Of course if hospitals had been built in the centre of towns with good supporting public transport, then we wouldn't have a problem, there could be an expectation that public transport is the best way to get to hospital. Sadly our hospitals are often built out of town - we are told that ambulances can access them better there! Of course if the roads were clearer in town (where people actually live) then ambulances would have no problem accessing the hospitals.

Stuart

Stay healthy

"Tony Blair is thinking the unthinkable about the NHS. He's proposing that people should be given money by the government to spend as they like on healthcare - even if it's in the private sector." Channel 4.

So what is wrong with this?

1.Thinking about purchasing of healthcare is not something that I want to do when I need the healthcare, my concerns would be to get effective treatment.

2. Worrying about the costs of health care is exactly what the NHS was set up to avoid.

3. What happens when the cash runs out, healthcare is not equal provision - personally I don't want to receive any healthcare, I'd quite like not to need to - the NHS was set up to provide healthcare to those who need it, not those who can afford it.

Stuart

PFI Petition

Interesting PFI petition on the government's petition website.

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Show the cost to the taxpayer of PFI projects"

Only 108 signatures... compared to the million people worried about their cars??? Health service sustainability or being able to drive as much as you want for a few more years until climate change and peak oil stops them - people need to think about their priorities!

Stuart

Financial recovery by reducing paper clip consumption

Don't get me wrong, I am all for reducing consumption whereever possible but to expect to keep a hospital solvent through not buying pens is a bit much. Staff obviously will have to buy their own or get them from drug reps. Neither is very satisfactory.

Wouldn't it be good if we gave enough money to our NHS so that it could run?

Stuart

Hillingdon PCT is sold off

It had to happen sooner or later. Hewitt has promised it and now Hillingdon PCT is delivering.

Anthony Sumara, Hillingdon PCT's interim chief executive is putting a proposal to the Trust's board that most of the PCT's function is sold off to the private sector, including control of the £258 million budget.

From the FT: "The move, which is likely to provoke bitter opposition from the health service unions, would see the private sector taking over not just the provision of community services but the assessment, planning, contracting, procurement and performance management of £258m a year's worth of health care for its local population."

The PCT will remain accountable for its spending (and over spending) though... In management school, I was taught that accountability should go hand in hand with responsibility. Clearly I was taught badly.

This move will hand the purchase and planning function to a private company that has shareholder's interests as its top priority. The company will be accountable to these shareholders, not the public and patients in Hillingdon. Is this what we want?

Stuart