GPs, hospital consultants and junior doctors are convening today for a very important Special Representative Meeting (SRM) of the British Medical Association (BMA) to consider the government’s planned shake-up of the NHS.
The SRM was called following demands that the BMA membership be allowed to decide whether or not to oppose the government’s Health and Social Care Bill.
Motions listed on the SRM agenda reveal huge opposition to the Bill as an instrument to smash up and privatise the NHS.
Motion 11 from the SRM Agenda committee notes that the Bill ‘has no electoral mandate’, and that ‘a public referendum should be held to confirm public support for the proposals before the Bill can be enacted’.
Also, ‘the Bill should be withdrawn if there is not a clear mandate for support following a public referendum.’
Motion 59 by Buckingham Division states that ‘the insistence on enforced competition (“Any Willing Provider” or Tendering methods) for the Provision of Health Services’ will ‘inflate the cost of contracting at a time of financial constraint’.
It warns of ‘fragmentation of the care pathway for patients’ and that the Bill could ‘severely damage the overall financial stability of local NHS hospitals, with the risk of departments or hospitals closing’.
Motion 82 by the Agenda Committee ‘calls on the BMA to lobby for a suitable amendment to remove the provision for price competition in the Bill.’
Motion 119i by Enfield and Haringey Division states that ‘forcing GPs to join GP Commissioning Consortia’ will ‘open the way for the formation of huge primary care units attractive to the corporate sector, and also gives them huge commissioning powers.’
The Junior Doctors Committee expresses concerns over the quality of training under the Bill.
There are also motions opposing Foundation Trust Status and attacks on doctors’ Conditions of Service.
Motion 175 by the Agenda Committee ‘believes the BMA stance of critical engagement with the government failed’ and ‘calls on the BMA to oppose the Bill in its entirety’.
It ‘calls on the BMA to publicise and oppose the damaging elements of the Bill’ and ‘calls for the BMA to consider what form of action should be taken by the medical profession’.
Motion 175f by London Regional Council ‘calls on Council to move from a policy of “critical engagement” with the Health and Social Care Bill to total opposition’.
It ‘calls on Council to poll all BMA members between now and ARM about forms of action which they would engage in to prevent the implementation of this legislation.’
Warning that the government is already proceeding with cuts and privatisation before the Bill is law, Motion 175i by Enfield Division ‘calls on the BMA to;
‘withdraw its policy of “critica engagement” of the Health Bill’s proposals;
‘advise the profession to refuse to take part in GP Commissioning Consortia;
‘decide on actions to prevent the implementation of this bill, including industrial action in order to defend patient services and the jobs of our members and stop the service being privatised.’
