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02/09/2011
Health Reforms Present 'Unacceptably High Risk'
A letter from the head of the British Medical Council has said that the Government’s latest health reforms presented an “unacceptably high risk to the NHS".
BMA Council Chairman, Dr Hamish Meldrum, wrote to all MPs on Friday warning them the Government's health and social care bill threatened its ability to "operate effectively and equitably, now and in the future.”
The reforms contain plans for NHS to take on an inappropriate and misguided reliance on "market forces" and could lead to wealthy patients gaining priority over the poor.
In his letter Dr Meldrum said the impact the Government’s reforms were having on an NHS charged with finding an unprecedented £20 billion in efficiency savings were of "high risk".
“The focus on the changes already flowing from the reforms is creating a noticeable distraction to efforts to ensure and improve the quality of patient care. The risks are high, not least because the long-term effects of the legislation are likely to be extensive. Meaningful, sustainable reform needs to have the full confidence of patients and those working in the health service.”
He also said that insufficient thought had been applied to knock on effects of proposals in the Bill, which had the “potential to destabilise local health economies”.
(DW/GK)
BMA Council Chairman, Dr Hamish Meldrum, wrote to all MPs on Friday warning them the Government's health and social care bill threatened its ability to "operate effectively and equitably, now and in the future.”
The reforms contain plans for NHS to take on an inappropriate and misguided reliance on "market forces" and could lead to wealthy patients gaining priority over the poor.
In his letter Dr Meldrum said the impact the Government’s reforms were having on an NHS charged with finding an unprecedented £20 billion in efficiency savings were of "high risk".
“The focus on the changes already flowing from the reforms is creating a noticeable distraction to efforts to ensure and improve the quality of patient care. The risks are high, not least because the long-term effects of the legislation are likely to be extensive. Meaningful, sustainable reform needs to have the full confidence of patients and those working in the health service.”
He also said that insufficient thought had been applied to knock on effects of proposals in the Bill, which had the “potential to destabilise local health economies”.
(DW/GK)
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