Doctors call on ConDems to ditch health bill

The BMA has issued a statement demanding "major changes to controversial NHS reform proposals" following a special meeting of doctors that "reaffirmed the widespread concern" called on the Secretary of State to withdraw the Bill.

One of the motions passed by a Special Representative Meeting of Doctors on 15 March deplores the government’s use of "misleading and inaccurate information to denigrate the NHS, and to justify the Health and Social Care Bill reforms".

It said that "the Health Bill is likely to worsen health outcomes as a result of fragmentation and competition".

Meeting after the SRM, the BMA Council issued a statement saying it "confirmed its intention to step up its opposition to the most damaging parts of the Bill. Council also considered a variety of options that would be necessary to achieve these aims. The role that competition, and in particular Monitor - as the economic regulator - will play in planning and running health care, is a key concern."

The statement went on: "Doctors attending yesterday’s SRM reaffirmed the widespread concern about the plans and because of this called on the Secretary of State to withdraw the Bill.

“In the meantime, the BMA will continue to publicise and oppose the damaging aspects of the Bill.

“Ministers can no longer continue to cite the often reluctant and pragmatic decision by GPs to get involved in commissioning groups as endorsement of their NHS reforms. Following yesterday’s SRM, the government should not be left in any doubt about the strength of feeling among the medical profession; many doctors recognise the need to change how the NHS is run but have serious concerns about scale and nature of the planned reforms which are hugely risky and, potentially, highly damaging.”

See the statement at http://www.bma.org.uk/healthcare_policy/nhs_white_paper/specialrepresentativemeeting.jsp

And the policies passed by the SRM at http://web2.bma.org.uk/bmapolicies.nsf/WF?OpenForm&key=webSRM