The House of Lords has been called upon to “flex its collective political muscle” and reject the privatisation of the NHS “once-and-for-all”.
The union Unite has raised concerns over the “accelerating stealth privatisation of the NHS”.
Unite cited the York-based Haxby Group Practice of GPs, which is allegedly touting the services of HGB Ltd – owned by the practice – as an example of the “growing privatisation trend”.
The House of Lords has been called upon to “flex its collective political muscle” and reject the privatisation of the NHS “once-and-for-all”.
The union Unite has raised concerns over the “accelerating stealth privatisation of the NHS”.
Unite cited the York-based Haxby Group Practice of GPs, which is allegedly touting the services of HGB Ltd – owned by the practice – as an example of the “growing privatisation trend”.
The union has said patients have now been written to by the practice to raise awareness for the new ‘Private Minor Operation Service’, offering procedures such as those that deal with in-growing toenails at £146.95 and simple viral warts at £156.40.
Rachel Maskell, Unite’s National Officer for Heath, said the practice shown by the Haxy GPs shows how GPs are set to “profit from what is the privatisation of the NHS”.
“Serious question have to be asked about the use of data collected for NHS purposes now being used for energetic marketing,” said Maskell.
“Is patient confidentiality, the bedrock of trust in the NHS, being compromised in the interests of private profit?
“David Cameron’s rhetoric that the NHS is safe in his government’s hand is increasingly being revealed as a sham – hollow and threadbare. Now is the time for the House of Lords to flex its collective political muscle and reflect the nation’s will and reject the privatisation of the NHS, once-and-for all.”
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“If the NHS goes. Then civility will go as we know it. The NHS is the bedrock of british society. How dare these charlatan politicians play God with people’s health so they can turn care in to a profit scheme full of snake-oil salesman in competition to oust their clients for the next. Shame on the coalition government” – John Redditch
