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Doctors condemn 'commercial' NHS NHS finances 'must not be raided'
(1 day later)
Doctors are urging the government to row back on its "dogmatic commercialisation" of the NHS to help protect services during the recession. The NHS must not be raided to bail out the mess created by bankers and politicians, the leader of the UK's medical workforce says.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has attacked what it calls a "sledgehammer" approach to reform to the health service in England. British Medical Association chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum said with a £100bn budget the NHS could face cuts to plug the gaps in the nation's finances.
The union is calling on ministers to instead work with doctors to cope with the tough times ahead. He said the answer was not to cut back on traditional NHS services but to end the involvement of the private sector.
The stinging criticism comes as the BMA launches its annual conference. The government said the NHS was still a priority for funding.
Strike threat We are not going to allow doctors to be the scapegoats for the failures of the politicians or the bankers Dr Hamish MeldrumBritish Medical Association
One of the major motions on the first day of the Liverpool meeting on Monday is a call for a day of industrial action. But argued that doctors were wrong to call for an end to private sector involvement.
But BMA chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum warned his members not to vote for strikes despite anger over the use of the private sector. Despite his anger over the use of the market-based reforms, Dr Meldrum warned his members gathering in Liverpool for the union's annual conference not to vote for industrial action.
We have never said the private sector has no place in the NHS, but in an ideal world we think the vast majority of NHS services should be publicly provided Dr Hamish MeldrumBMA chairman One of the major motions on the first day of the four-day meeting of doctors is a call for a day of industrial action.
He said that with the health service battling against the flu pandemic and jobs being lost across the economy, Dr Meldrum said now was not the time to take such drastic action. But with the health service battling against the flu pandemic and jobs being lost across the economy, Dr Meldrum said now was not the time to take such drastic action.
He said there was nothing that "warranted even a consideration of industrial action".He said there was nothing that "warranted even a consideration of industrial action".
However, Dr Meldrum still went on to warn the government its policies were putting the future of the health service at risk. NHS 'at risk'
He said moves to create polyclinics and PFI schemes, which use private money to build hospitals, were draining the health service of resources and fragmenting care. However, Dr Meldrum still went on to warn the government that its policies were putting the future of the health service at risk.
He continued: "We have never said the private sector has no place in the NHS, but in an ideal world we think the vast majority of NHS services should be publicly provided." He said moves to create polyclinics and PFI schemes, which use private money to build hospitals, were draining the health service in England of resources and fragmenting care.
While other parts of the UK have experimented with getting the private sector involved in the NHS, it has not be done on the scale that it has in England.
Dr Meldrum said: "End this ludicrous, divisive and expensive experiment of the market in healthcare in England."
The NHS has its funding guaranteed until 2011, but many experts predict it will face a freeze or even fall in budget after that.
Mr Meldrum said: "The NHS is facing some of the biggest and most serious challenges ever.
"We need to do everything possible to protect the healthcare budget and not concede that swingeing cuts are either inevitable or necessary.
"While we should be realistic and not expect inflation-busting pay rises and an infinite expansion in medical power, I can assure you that we are not going to allow doctors to be the scapegoats for the failures of the politicians or the bankers."
He spoke out after a BMA poll of 1,000 people showed nine in 10 were worried that services were going to be cut because of the recession.He spoke out after a BMA poll of 1,000 people showed nine in 10 were worried that services were going to be cut because of the recession.
Dr Meldrum added: "Although the private sector has for many years played a role in providing care, a majority of the public believe that the government's dogmatic and misguided plan to commercialise the NHS has gone too far and is threatening the very future of the health service." Government response
The BMA has already launched a campaign called Look After Our NHS, which is currently gathering details from members about how private sector involvement in the health service is damaging care. But a Department of Health spokeswoman said despite the recession the NHS budget was still increasing until 2011.
But Dr Meldrum denied that doctors were just trying to look after their own interests. "It is for NHS organisations to use this opportunity to identify efficiency savings so we can continue delivering high quality care for every patient."
He said: "The worries are probably more about protecting health services and patients rather than job security." After that she said the NHS would "always be a priority for investment".
And she added the use of the private sector was aimed at improving services.
"Where independent sector providers offer high quality patient care, innovation, good value for money and meet local needs, we will continue to bring them in to work as part of the family of NHS providers.
"Alongside the hard work of staff and in every organisation, the independent sector has played an integral part in our success in delivering dramatic falls in waiting times for patients."