 |
 |
From: Tom Lines [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Dear all, I spotted a little item at the bottom of p. 4 of last Friday's Financial Times (June 25th), and a longer website report called 'Family doctors to take on commissioning' at www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0c0b9b0c-7fb8-11df-91b4-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=aec5d <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0c0b9b0c-7fb8-11df-91b4-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=aec5dfd0-681e-11df-a52f-00144feab49a.html>fd0-681e-11df-a52f-00144feab49a.html. Consider this: There will be a full separation of the commissioning of care from its provision, [health secretary] Mr Lansley [said] - creating a "regulated market" among public, private and voluntary health providers.' and this: 'Mr Lansley acknowledged ... that his plans will involve "far reaching" changes to both the form and function of the NHS - in spite of previous pledges from the health secretary and David Cameron, the prime minister, to avoid large structural upheavals.' I'm no expert in this area, but won't this fragment and finally destroy the public basis of the NHS? If it won't, can someone please explain to me what the real implication is? It's surely more than just rearranging the bureaucratic furniture. And if it will - and I'm also right in thinking the story has had little coverage elsewhere - can I ask you to pass it around? It looks to me like another chilling example of the Con-Dem coalition taking the Thatcher revolution several stages further, after the Tories have lied about these plans ever since David Cameron became their leader. Best wishes, Tom Lines