A bill calling on the Government to put ‘patients before profits’ has been backed in Parliament – with the support of two Greater Manchester MPs.
Oldham MP Debbie Abrahams and Stretford MP Kate Green both backed the Labour bill, which aims to repeal the ‘damaging’ competition rules on the NHS.
The private member’s bill, introduced by Labour’s Clive Efford last Friday, aims to reduce the privatisation of the NHS and will exempt it from trans-Atlantic trade, stopping the potential of health services opening up to foreign competition.
Mrs Abrahams said: “Much needed NHS funds are being spent on competition lawyers and tendering exercises, instead of on patient care.
“We’ve seen £3billion wasted on a needless reorganisation and profitable services put into the private sector while at the same time the NHS is under increasing pressure.
“The Tory and Liberal Democrat government has forced hospitals to open themselves up to privatisation, letting private companies’ cherry-pick the most profitable NHS services.”
The bill was supported by 241 MPs to 18, clearing its first Parliamentary hurdle.
Mrs Abrahams created her own report looking into the privatisation that is currently underway in the NHS in Oldham and how it is being affected by the government’s Health and Social Care Act.
Mrs Abrahams added: “Currently seven out of ten health services across the country that have been put out to tender have been awarded to private contractors.
“Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group estimates that in 2013 and 2014, nearly £93,000 will have been spent on legal and other advice for putting services out to tender.”
Kate Green, Stretford and Urmston MP, has challenged the government to act to make sure patients are put before profits.
Ms Green said: “The Tories’ approach is to let private companies cherry-pick the most profitable NHS services, regardless of patient need, and spend more money on economic regulators and competition lawyers.
“Labour will rescue the NHS with our £2.5billion Time to Care package which will fund new staff including 20,000 more nurses – investment the Tories will not match.
“I voted for this new bill because it will end the creep towards NHS privatisation, bureaucracy and red-tape, and put patients back at the heart of the NHS.
“Now it’s time for the Tory-led government to listen to parliament and put this bill into action so that patients in Stretford and Urmston are prioritised once again.”
Labour has said they will repeal the coalition government’s Health and Social Care Act if elected in 2015.
Image courtesy of Debbie Abrahams, via YouTube, with thanks.
