Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Are you sure the NHS is safe in Tory hands? OK if you can afford to go private!




NHS hospitals in England will be free to use almost half their hospital beds and theatre time for private patients under government plans.

A recent revision to the ongoing health bill will allow foundation hospitals to raise 49% of funds through non-NHS work if the bill gets through Parliament.

Most foundation trusts are now limited to a private income of about 2%.

The Health Secretary says the move will benefit NHS patients but Labour claimed it could lead to longer waiting lists.

The amendment to a clause of the Health and Social Care Bill was made shortly before Christmas by Health Minister Earl Howe.

Commenting on the move, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said lifting the private income cap for foundation hospitals would directly benefit NHS patients.

Health and Social Care Bill

• Introduced into Parliament on 19 January 2011

• Main theme is to change commissioning of NHS services, giving GPs more control of the NHS budget

• Concerns led to a Government 'listening exercise' in the summer

• The bill then progressed through the House of Commons

• Further examination of the bill is to take place in the House of Lords in 2012

"If these hospitals earn additional income from private work that means there will be more money available to invest in NHS services," he said in a statement.

"Furthermore services for NHS patients will be safeguarded because foundation hospitals' core legal duty will be to care for them."

But Labour's shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham claimed the move could mean longer waits for NHS patients.

He said: "This surprise move, sneaked out just before Christmas, is the clearest sign yet of David Cameron's determination to turn our precious NHS into a US-style commercial system, where hospitals are more interested in profits than people.

"With NHS hospitals able to devote half of their beds to private patients, people will begin to see how our hospitals will never be the same again if Cameron's Health Bill gets through Parliament."

Critical services

A cap on the amount of income hospitals can raise from private patients was put in place by Labour in 2003, amid political controversy over the setting up of foundation hospitals, which have more freedom to decide how their services are run. All NHS hospitals are set to become foundation hospitals by 2014.

...the Government has consistently assured us that the NHS is safe in their hands, but if allowed to go ahead, the removal of the cap could lead to the fundamental erosion of key NHS principles”

End Quote Dr Peter Carter RCN

The cap has prevented hospitals from expanding their private work beyond the proportion earned in 2002. It varies from hospital to hospital, but is limited to about 2% in most hospitals.

In a small number of specialist hospitals, such as the Royal Marsden, the limit is set much higher, at around 30%. Health secretary Andrew Lansley has long said he will abolish the cap but it has been unclear how much private work would be allowed.

Proponents of the move have pointed out that the Royal Marsden is rated one of the best NHS providers while taking up to around a third of its income from private activity.

But critics are concerned that NHS patients would get a poor deal under the proposals, as foundation trusts with large financial deficits seek to take on more private work.

Dr Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said it was "a seriously worrying development".

"At a time when the health service has to make significant efficiency savings, it is only natural, that given the option, providers will look to maximise their income through private patients," he said.

"This will undoubtedly lead to a situation whereby those who can afford to pay will get faster access to better treatment, with increased waiting times and a decrease in quality for NHS patients."

He said existing NHS providers could be left to deliver critical services, which are the most expensive and challenging to run.

He added: "Really, it doesn't get much more serious than this; the Government has consistently assured us that the NHS is safe in their hands, but if allowed to go ahead, the removal of the cap could lead to the fundamental erosion of key NHS principles.

"The very heart of these principles being that access to care should be on the basis of clinical need, regardless of ability to pay."

Dual role

But the chief executive of the health thinktank, the King's Fund, Chris Ham said hospitals had generated funds from private patients for many years, and it was possible to provide high quality care to both NHS and private patients in the same hospital.

"The cap is only a significant consideration for a minority of hospitals," he said.

"These hospitals should report annually on how they are ensuring NHS patients do not lose out if the cap is either removed or at a relatively high proportion of income."

I think this is another step for the tories to privatise as much as possible of our NHS
What do you think! ... regards Ian Robertson   walsall.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Win for labour in Birchills Leamore


Tina Jukes wins for Labour

 While not in Walsall South, many of us have been helping in canvassing in the by election in Birchills Leamore and despite the date ( not called by Labour or tories) right next to Christmas the following result has put some Christmas cheer in our step here in Walsall Labour.
We shall redouble our efforts to capture the next 4 seats to re gain control of this Council in May 2012. All help gratefullly received.


On a low turnout for a by-election of 15.9% but not surprising given the

closeness to Christmas , Tina Jukes defended the Birchills seat of the late Joan

Barton 
Results Birchills-Leamore: Lab hold.

Tina Jukes (Lab): 835; 53%Kamran Aftab (Con) 512; 32%

Chris Newey (Eng Dem) 130; 8% Liz Hazell (UKIP) 59; 4%

L Gebrakedan (Green) 46. 3%

Tina will be an excellent councillor for the people of Birchills-Leamore.

This result once again sees Labour and Conservatives at 27 seats each, Lib

Dems with 5 and an independent.

This Council has been run by the Tories for the past 12 years. They continue to waste our money... the latest proposal to spend nearly £1 Million on doing up the Council House over the next two years when front line services for the most vulnerable in this Borough are being cut to the bone is just one example.

There have been serious flaws in a number of contracts that have resulted in really bad deals for Walsall residents : education is potentially in limbo with the apparent proposal to end the Serco contract within 6 months and leaves a real sense of concern for teachers and pupils as they face their examinations in the summer... we need to re-establish the Walsall Education Board urgently to take control:

 However we all know that their theme is 'let the market decide' OK if you are well off but not so good if you are struggling! As our Town centres fall into decay and unemployment rises and education results, while improved ,are nowhere near good enough, we look forward to being in a position to do  a lot better for the residents of Walsall after May.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

email newsletter from Valerie Vaz MP

November 2011
Walsall South To Contact Valerie: Constituency Office:
Telephone: 01922 635835 114a Lichfield Street, Walsall, WS1 1SZ Westminster Office:
Telephone: 020 7219 7176
Email: valerie.vaz.mp@parliament.uk House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA For further information, please visit: http://www.valerievazmp.co.uk/


 HOSPITAL BUS STOP
When the 38 bus was intro-duced it was expected to stop at the Manor Hospital. A Red Route was placed on Pleck Road, so buses stopped some distance away.
Valerie wrote to the Chief Executives of Walsall Healthcare and National Express West Midlands and they have said that from the 1st January 2012 the bus will stop at the Hospital.


VALERIE HOSTS EVENTS IN HONOUR OF NOOR
INYAT KHAN & AUNG SAN SUU KYI

Photo by Alan Williams During November, Valerie hosted events at the House of Commons in honour of Noor Inyat Khan and Aung San Suu Kyi.
Valerie said: "Noor died in Da-chau concentration camp in 1944, at the young age of 30 having risked her life as a member of the Special Opera-tions Executive, based in Paris during the Second World War. She was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the George Cross but there is no memorial to her in this country. I look forward to one being unveiled in 2012."
"It was a privilege to host the event in honour of Aung San Suu Kyi. I hope many people will learn about her inspiring life through the book "The Lady and the Peacock", which was launched at the event. Noor Inyat Khan and Aung San Suu Kyi are both very
inspiring women."

WALSALL SOUTH AND THE 2012 OLYMPICS



" YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RISES

Valerie has criticised the Government’s record on long-term youth unemployment after the number of people aged 18-24 in Walsall South who have been claiming Job Seekers’ Al-lowance for more than six months doubled between Janu-ary and October this year. 600 young people in Walsall South have now been claiming JSA for more than 6 months.
Nationally, there are now over 1 million young people claim-ing JSA and in Walsall South the figure stands at 1,456.
Valerie said: "Before Labour’s Future Jobs Fund was abol-ished I visited a project in Walsall South. I saw its work at first hand. Young people who would have been on the dole were given training. There was no Government interference, but money was given directly to local organisations which taught skills to match the available jobs. At the end, the young people received a CV and a reference.

 VALERIE REACTS TO AUTUMN STATEMENT On Tuesday 29th November 2011, the Chancellor, the Rt Hon George Osborne MP delivered his Autumn Statement to the House of Commons. The Chancellor announced that public sector pay rises would be capped at 1% at the end of the current pay freeze, that the total number of public sector job losses will reach 710,000 and that the Government will borrow £158 billion more than expected.
Valerie said: "I am astonished that the Chancellor has decided to cap public sec-tor pay rises at 1% at the end of the current pay freeze. This is well below the current rate of inflation and in effect represents a pay cut for thousands of teach-ers, nurses and police officers."
"The Government is set to borrow £158 billion more than it planned a year ago. Its economic policy is simply not working. The Government lacks the
competence to bring growth back to the economy and bring down the deficit." 


Surgeries Valerie holds regular surgeries. To arrange an appointment, please call the Constituency Office on 01922 635835
Valerie has welcomed news of the benefits the 2012 Olympics will bring to Walsall South. It was announced this month that Walsall South-based manufacturer, Alucast has won a contract to produce components for the torches to be used in the Olympic Flame Relay. The relay will pass through Walsall on 30th June 2012.
Valerie wrote to every school in Walsall South asking them to take part in a scheme to make Pennant Flags for all the athletes taking part in the 2012 Olympics. Valerie said: "I hope all schools in Wal-sall South will take up this opportunity."