Health Bill spells "the end of the National Health Service as we know it"
It has often been said that a week is a long time in politics and I think this has been exemplified by the unfolding events surrounding the controversial and ever less credible Health and Social Care Bill.
It was the Labour Party that first came out and said the whole bill should be dropped. Then the health profession started telling Lansley how it was an unworkable idea. Every Royal college is, at best, highly sceptical and, at worst, deeply hostile. Now even his cabinet colleagues have joined in with the chorus of disapproval.
There are so many reasons why the Health and Social Care Bill is just a bad idea, not only for the north of England, but the entire country and anyone who relies on the NHS. But if we look at the north of England, figures from the House of Commons Library show that there are continuing health inequalities when comparing it to the south of England. Generally speaking there are more deaths due to cancer and strokes and life expectancy is usually lower too. We need a strong National Health Service to help to close some of these gaps.
I am against the bill because it will be the end of the National Health Service as we know it. Even now it is unclear exactly what this heavily amended bill will look like, but I have a number of real concerns
Health Bill spells "the end of the National Health Service as we know it" | UK news | guardian.co.uk