Challenging our local Conservative MP on the NHS

Sir,

Winchester Liberal Democrats took a leading role at the Liberal Democrat conference in Sheffield in changing the party’s policy to reject the covert privatisation of the NHS being pushed through by Conservative Secretary of State Andrew Lansley and his supporters on the Health and Social Welfare Bill Committee, such our local MP Steve Brine.

This is a vital change. The proposals, if left as they are, will inevitably lead to cherry-picking of easy cases by the private sector and the decline of services in local hospitals around the country.

There’s little or no evidence to back the Mr Lansley’s NHS plans and a whole lot of unanswered questions. How will the enormous cost of reorganisation be borne without cutting front-line services? How can the new organisations running the NHS be held accountable when they can meet in secret? How will they stop the cherry-picking which could put the future of our local hospitals at risk? Is the Government prepared to put measures in place that will block NHS privatisation by stealth?

While we hear bland promises, policies are being put in place which could wreck the NHS as we know it. It’s vital that these plans are changed.

Mr Lansley, Mr Brine and the other members of the Bill Committee should think again before it is too late.

Yours faithfully,

Martin Tod