We need to end the internal market within the NHS, not tinker with it.
Our NHS has had to operate as an ‘internal market’ under Labour and Tory governments for 25 years. Now, crippled by historic PFI deals and a funding crisis, it is at risk like never before. NHS England is proposing that local NHS systems become ‘Accountable Care Organisations’. These ACOs recognise the inefficiencies in the internal market, and the need for integrated health and social care. But the proposals are driven by the ideology of private healthcare provision. They could hand over health and social care services for whole areas to the private sector.
Greens are committed to a publicly funded, publicly provided health service free at the point of use. We would restore the public sector ethos of partnership between staff and patients, place more emphasis on prevention and on primary and community care, and tackle the mental health crisis.
We need better and bolder scrutiny from our Councillors, to challenge the latest top-down NHS reorganisations.
Caroline Lucas MP sponsored the first NHS Reinstatement Bill in 2015 and continues to actively support the campaign. MPs supporting this bill are campaigning to reinstate the founding vision of a universal health service, free at the point of need. Newcastle East MP Nick Brown is not yet in the list of supporters at www.nhsbillnow.org: you can write to him at www.writetothem.com to ask him to support this campaign.
