Health and Social Care Bill

I rise to speak not only as a former official of Unison, the biggest trade union in the health service, but as a former care worker. Like most other union officials who have been bad-mouthed as the voice of conservatism, I have actually worked in taking care of people. Perhaps once in a while the people who have delivered services to the vulnerable, the sick and those in need in this country might be listened to. The last time the Conservatives were in power, they did not listen to the voices of such people about the health service, which is why we saw the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering, which led to hygiene-related diseases. We saw massive waiting lists and people waiting on trolleys in corridors. I do not want to put my views tonight, but the views of the people who work in the health service, such as my GP, who asked me this morning how, if we are to go through all these changes, he will be able to take the time off to learn business administration and how to use a computer properly so that he will be able to challenge the people who will run his service. The King's Fund says that it questions"““the need to embark on a fundamental reorganisation when evidence shows health outcomes and public satisfaction have improved.””" The hon. Member for Totnes (Dr Wollaston) says that"““it does look like somebody has tossed a hand grenade at the PCTs””" and, even more importantly:"““If the expertise isn't there…inevitably they're going to be having to turn more to the private sector.””" Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the British Medical Association, says:"““Ploughing ahead with these changes as they stand, at such speed, at a time of huge financial pressure…is a massive gamble.””" He also says:"““We will quickly see failed consortia bought up on the cheap by foreign companies and see bits of the NHS run from abroad.”” " Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, says:"““The fragmentation of services would have detrimental impacts on the various areas the reforms seek to improve””." Dr Peter Carter from the Royal College of Nursing says:"““The RCN is also concerned that the fragmentation could result in unexplained variations in service, a reduction in collaboration and less sharing of good practice—all of which impact on quality care.””" He also says:"““We don't think it's been properly thought through… In May last year the average waiting time was nine weeks. Our concern at the moment is that short-sighted false economy will end up costing the public money and result in patient care going backwards.””" The head of Arthritis Care says that"““the Bill risks creating a 'free-for-all' situation where only those patients who shout the loudest will get the services they need.””" In a letter to The Times on 17 January, the leaders of six professional health service organisations said:"““The scale and ambitions of the cost-reform programme are extremely risky and potentially dangerous.””" Last Monday, in a letter to The Times, 190 nurses from one trust said that the"““figures from the Royal College of Nursing show 27,000 nursing posts are being cut. These proposed reforms will make matters much, much worse…The proposed reforms will be rapid, costly and staggering in scale: they presage nothing less than the complete reconstruction, if not privatisation, of the NHS””." This morning, in the Newcastle Journal, 12 doctors representing people from Northumberland in the north to Yorkshire in the south said that"““enforced financial competition, creating a health 'market', risks damaging our health service. Forcing GP consortia to tender contracts out…runs the huge risk of seeing large commercial, profit-driven companies entering the market. They will pursue the most profitable contracts…and ignore aspects of healthcare which are not profitable, leaving behind 'Cinderella' services. There can be no doubt that the use of their size to undercut on price…could damage local services in the north-east.””" Those are not my words. They are the words of those we as a nation trust to take care of the people who send us here. To rubbish them, like Government Members have done tonight, as the voices of conservatism means just one thing: arrogance. It shows that they are not prepared to listen to the people who take our people forward and look after them. [Interruption.] No, I am not going to sit down; other people want to speak. The truth is that the people of this country will never forget that, and they will not forget the human shields in the Liberal Democrats who are giving cover to that policy.