RCGP calls for Prime Minister to withdraw Health Bill
03/02/12
The Royal College of General Practitioners –
the UK's largest medical Royal College – has today written to the
Prime Minister calling for the complete withdrawal of the Health
and Social Care Bill.
The College announced its decision in the wake of the amendments
to the Bill laid down in the House of Lords on 1 February.
Despite the number and extent of the amendments, the College
remains concerned that the Bill will cause irreparable damage to
patient care and jeopardise the NHS.
Three quarters of respondents to a poll carried out by the RCGP
said they thought it appropriate to seek the withdrawal of the
Health and Social Care Bill. The last of three surveys commissioned
by RCGP Chair Dr Clare Gerada, the poll found that GPs are
increasingly concerned about the Bill and the effect it poses to
patient care.
But the College held off from calling for wholesale withdrawal,
instead writing to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley using the survey
results to reiterate its concerns and provide another opportunity
for changes to be made.
The subsequent responses from Earl Howe and the Health
Secretary, and the amendments presented to the House of Lords, have
prompted today’s decision.
RCGP Chair Dr Clare Gerada said: “This decision was not taken
lightly, but it is clear that the College has been left with no
alternative. We have taken every opportunity to negotiate
changes for the good of our patients and for the continued
stability of the NHS, yet while the Government has claimed that it
has made widespread concessions, our view is that the amendments
have created greater confusion. We remain unconvinced that the Bill
will improve the care and services we provide to our patients.
“Our position has not changed, and the concerns we expressed
when this Bill was at the White Paper stage 18 months ago have
still not been satisfactorily addressed. Competition, and the
opening up our of health service to any qualified providers will
lead not only to fragmentation of care, but also potentially to a
‘two tier’ system with access to care defined by a patient’s
ability to pay.
“We support a greater role for GPs in the planning, design and
delivery of services within their local communities, but as the
organisation representing the views of over 44,000 GPs, we cannot
support a Bill that will damage the care and services that GPs
deliver to patients and ultimately bring about the demise of a
unified, national health service.
“Our view is that what is required now is to rapidly consolidate
the current organisational structure, such that PCT clusters
remain, with GPs placed as the majority of the Board so that we may
address the serious issues facing our NHS. There should be a debate
as a matter of urgency to determine what the NHS can provide, how
it should be funded, and how we deal with the major health and
social care problems facing our population.
“We cannot sit back. Instead, we must once again raise our
concerns in the hope that the Prime Minister will halt this
damaging, unnecessary and expensive reorganisation which, in
our view, risks leaving the poorest and most vulnerable in
society to bear the brunt.
“We will continue to do everything we can, both as a College and
in partnership with our colleagues in the Academy of Royal
Colleges, our nursing colleagues and across the wider health and
social care sectors, to bring about change for the good of our
patients and preserve the principles of the NHS that has served
millions of patients so well for over 60 years - a universal
healthcare service, free at the point of need.”
ENDS
Further information
RCGP Press office – 020 3188 7574/7575/7576
Out of hours: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk
Notes to editors
The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more
than 44,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We
work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general
medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education,
training, research and clinical standards.