All UK citizens should fear the future of the NHS and their own healthcare unless the Health and Social Care Bill is thrown out, even at this late hour.
The link offers a legal framework for the challenge. Everyone is encouraged to make their loca Peer aware of the concerns.
All UK doctors are urged to contact their College to make their concerns known too.
The following is from http://callonyourcollege.blogspot.com/
SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2012
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In only a few weeks time this Health Bill could become law. Your input is urgently needed.
The Bill
- poses an enormous risk to the future of a viable equitable NHS.
- allows the elected Secretary of State to abdicate his or her ultimate responsibility for the NHS.
- allows local hospitals to use up to 49% of their beds for private patients meaning NHS patients will wait longer for their care.
- will tranform a cost effective public service into a healthcare market.
- has no democratic mandate. We were promised 'no top down re-organisation of the NHS' prior to the election yet we now see this enormously damaging NHS upheaval before us which is already proving a huge distraction to all NHS workers.
Continuing with the implementation of the Bill carries far more risk than stopping it now and withdrawing it.
The Bill is now opposed by the British Medical Association, the NHS Consultants Association, theRoyal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives, Unison and Unite.
The Bill has now received a damning report from the Health Select Committee
We now ask for the help of all doctors who are members of a Royal College to lobby your own College about the Health Bill, advise them that you are opposed to the Health Bill and ask them to speak out on your behalf.
We ask you to cut and paste the template email below and then click on the link for your own College which should allow you to send the email easily. Of course feel free to design your own email.
It would be helpful to know how many of you have contacted your College so please add your name to the 'comment' section below (or initials if you prefer to remain anonymous).
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Dear College President,
I am writing to you as a member of our College. I have major concerns over the Health Bill currently in the House of Lords and ask that you speak out and oppose this damaging policy.
The Bill lacks a democratic mandate and carries enormous threats to the structure and function of the NHS. It threatens quality, training and standards, all of which fall within the remit of our College. The risks of continuing with this legislation are now felt to be greater than the risks of stopping it.
Our medical leaders need to lobby against the legislation. Please join the BMA, RCN and RCM in publicly opposing the Bill and calling for its withdrawal.
Yours sincerely,
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List of Royal Colleges and their email addresses you can click after you have copied and pasted
Royal College of Physicians infocentre@rcplondon.ac.uk
Royal College of Surgeons president@rcseng.ac.uk
Royal College of GPs president@rcgp.org.uk
Royal College of Radiologists president@rcr.ac.uk
Royal College of O&G president@rcog.org.uk
Royal College of Psychiatrists reception@rcpsych.ac.uk
Royal College of Paediatrics president@rcpch.ac.uk
Royal College of Pathologists president@rcpath.org
Royal College of Anaesthetists president@rcoa.ac.uk
Faculty of Public Health president@fph.org.uk
College of Emergency Medicine mc.prescem@gmail.com - Mr Mike Clancy
Chair of Academy of Medical Royal Colleges - Professor Sir Neil Douglas
neil.douglas@aomrc.org.uk
