Potentially damaging changes to Thanet’s health services will be debated in a public meeting in Broadstairs on Thursday 14 February at 7pm.
Called “What’s Happening to our NHS?” the meeting will highlight the radical changes which will be brought in this April and discuss what this will mean to the QEQM hospital.
Meeting organiser Christine Tongue of the Save Our Health Service group said: “Unless we wake up to what’s going on, I believe we are going to lose much of what we value in our NHS.
“Local GPs will take over commissioning health care and they will be required to make swingeing cuts in the services on offer.”
Christine said that she believes this will also mean increasing privatisation of the NHS in Thanet which will have a major impact on the QEQM hospital.
“Private companies will take over services once provided by QEQM and QEQM will cut back on services we once took for granted,” Christine warned.
The hospital itself is likely to shift more to private medicine, she claimed.
“The new changes mean that hospital trusts can gain a much bigger percentage of their income from private medicine. QEQM, I believe, will turn more to private patients in order to balance its books.”
Speakers invited to take part in the meeting include Dr Tony Martin, chair of Thanet’s new Clinical Commissioning Group, local consultant psychiatrist Dick Symonds, and a representative of the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign.
The meeting will take place at 7pm in the Red Hall, 11 Grosvenor Road, Broadstairs.
Given the costs and comparative clinical outcomes of the NHS (eg Stafford Hospital) and the contrast with other European countries much better patient services, (e.g. oncology) why are we so hell-bent against privatising parts of the NHS anyway I wonder.
ReplyDeleteExplain how, 01:15, and since when did District Councils fund hospitals?
Delete20.48, what's this 0% payrise about and do you have any evidence, like discrepancies in the accounts for example? Im genuinely interested.
DeleteAnon 20:48, I am not saying hidden payments are acceptable but, like James, I would like to know what evidence exists of such. I also notice you did not answer my earlier question about the responsibilities of district councils, financially, for hospitals.
DeleteJames, very briefly Moores and McGonigal would have the details as they approved 0% payrises for Samuel and White. These were actually pay increases estimated upto 15%. They could advise and the payslips, and accounts, would have details.
DeleteAs 1010/0948 confirms hidden payments such as these are unacceptable - they're fraud.
The point on councils/hospitals is covered above, repeated: "Such funds could have been used, amongst numerous things, to research NHS provision and its effectiveness."
How do you suggest the details of this 0% fraud be revealed?
Dont want to be a moaner here but I've heard that all before, I'm looking for a bit more detail, given the severity of the alleged crime. When and where was the decision made, how much money was involved? I understand TDC has to publish data on salaries for senior management. Has that information been checked to see any differences? What information has been sought via FOI and what responses have you got? Are there other reasons for this 15% and if so, why have they been put aside for this claim of fraud?
DeleteIm willing to go on a little faith here that there is something going on, if only because this has rumbled on for so long, but the information at present doesn't support a claim of fraud
Good questions James: and interesting the detail of the 0% fraud has been raised - ask away at TDC on your points and let's see how you do.
DeleteThe questions are for those alleging fraud, not the Council who as yet don't have a case to answer. If 21.56 can say its a 15% increase, then Im sure some of those questions should be pretty easy to answer.
ReplyDeleteJames, a word of warning, you are debating with a nutter. This person endlessly alleges fraud, pollution, brown envelopes and uncollected flight fines yet never backed with a shred of evidence. His standard retort is to call on his questioners to find out for themselves. He also feels the police should be making arrests as though they too can work off accusations rather than facts.
DeleteLove the way in his last comment he implies it is you that have raised the '0% salaries' issue although it was he that kicked it off.