Urgent Question on NHS Privatisation

Valerie has welcomed the Government’s u-turn on the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) Regulations 2013, known as the Section 75 Regulations, which would have forced doctors to open up every part of local health services to private companies through competitive tendering.

Valerie Vaz MP said:

“I am pleased that the Government has been forced to rewrite the damaging Section 75 Regulations. These would have forced doctors to open up every part of local health services to private companies through competitive tendering. The regulations would have brought about a focus on profit, rather than patient care, and led to a ‘race to the bottom’ amongst healthcare providers. This is despite assurances to the contrary by Ministers during the passage of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 through Parliament.”

“During an Urgent question on the Regulations in the House of Commons on 5 March 2013, I asked the Health Minister how the regulations came to be drafted in such a way that they mandated compulsory competitive tendering across the NHS. I am intrigued as to how Ministers came to give instructions for such provisions to be drafted despite the previous assurances.”

“I opposed the Health and Social Care Act 2012 on each occasion it was put to a vote in the House of Commons because I considered that it threatened to bring about the gradual privatisation of the NHS. The Section 75 Regulations as originally drafted show that these fears were justified.”

“It is crucial for the future of our NHS that the rewritten regulations unambiguously rule out the gradual privatisation of the NHS. Patient care, not profit, should be at the heart of the NHS.”

You can read the Hansard Transcript of Valerie’s question and the Minister’s response here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130305/debtext/130305-0002.htm#13030539000925