MP’s rallying call to fight for future of NHS
Batley MP Mike Wood will host a meeting on Saturday at the town hall to organise a local campaign against privatisation of the National Health Service.
The meeting will allow people to discuss concerns about new NHS reforms and how to oppose them by exploiting a loophole in the legislation.
Mr Wood said: “Nye Bevan said in 1948 that the NHS would live for as long as there were people ready to fight for it. 2013 is the time for everyone to respond to that call.”
On April 1 the Health and Social Care Act will sever the duty of the Secretary of State to secure comprehensive health care throughout England and introduce competitive markets and structures consistent with a privatised NHS.
On that date the newly formed North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) takes over managing and commissioning the majority of north Kirklees’ health services.
Mr Wood said under the ‘Any Qualified Provider’ policy, the CCG would be purchasing from an increasingly privatised market in which providers could compete to provide NHS-funded services they considered profitable.
But, he said there was a loophole where the local CCG was not legally obliged to operate under AQP.
Mr Wood added: “We must exploit this loophole and find every way to fight to minimise the damage, oppose privatisation, keep services intact and encourage those who stand for NHS values.”
The meeting is at 10.30am in the council chamber.
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Weather for Batley
Thursday 20 June 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 12 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: West
