Letter: The more I see the more I fear!

This is just phase one and, as services are reduced and Dewsbury becomes nothing more than a ‘Cottage Hospital’ we’re going to see more and more general medical services provided by the private sector. This is NHS privatisation by stealth.

The Health and Social Care Bill is allowing private companies to cherry pick the most lucrative contracts and bleed the NHS of vital funding.

Phase two has already been put into operation as I’m led to believe that certain contracts from the Dewsbury facility have been awarded to Virgin Healthcare and Specsavers. These current and future ‘contracts’ are deemed ‘commercially sensitive’ so we are not privy to what’s happening to OUR NHS and OUR money.

The people of North Kirklees and indeed, elsewhere are informed, usually after the event and with little if any consultation or involvement that “you will no longer be seen by your NHS Doctor/Consultant but by a company whose primary purpose is to satisfy its shareholders”.

The changes taking place will give the people of North Kirklees two choices - take it or leave it. But what’s so concerning is your future ‘choices’ (as we keep being told it’s all about better choices) are being made by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats who are using Public Consultation as a fig leaf for fundamentally changing the very nature of how healthcare is delivered.

If you have the same concerns as me then, please attend the public meeting at Dewsbury Town Hall on Tuesday May 21 at 8pm. It will be our last opportunity to have our say.

John Sheen

Moor Park Lane

Dewsbury