Haringey health activists and doctors unite to prevent NHS privatisation!

Posted: February 23, 2013

In a surprising but very welcome move Haringey Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has set out rules that can stop private companies taking over health services in Haringey. Now Haringey and Bristol CCGs lead the way in helping local people to defend the NHS!

The CCG are a group of mainly local GPs who from April 2013 will decide on and “buy in” most of the health care in Haringey. (This includes emergency health (at hospitals like the Whittington) and community health (like physiotherapy and diabetes treatment.)

Local activists and 38 Degrees members campaigned since November 2012 to persuade the CCG to adopt amendments to their set of rules (the CCGs constitution) to make the CCG more accountable, transparent and help keep big business like Virgin and Care UK out of the NHS locally.

Under the Health and Social Care Act most health services contracts go through a competition process (partly under EU regulations) to decide who runs them .This allows big companies to bid for and take over our health services.

But the CCG by agreeing to adopt the 38 degree amendments state now they will only invite competition to buy services where “necessary or appropriate”. They have adopted amendments stating contractors /providers must be “good employers” i.e. be reputable, meet tax and NI obligations and keep to EO legislation. Other amendments exclude companies convicted of offences, and   prohibit companies that use improper tax avoidance and off shore schemes.

These all help protect the NHS locally from corporate involvement.

They have published a public engagement strategy and want the public to consult on this. This will be circulated later.

We are having a Public Meeting on 5 March 2013 730 at Wood Green Christian Centre. We have invited the CCG, a rep from the Lewisham Campaign, and other speakers . The meeting will explain the reality of the cuts happening now, how health is changing, and to discuss how residents can get more involved!

Address-                                      
24 Lymington Avenue
Wood Green N22 6JR

Along a pedestrian passage from Wood Green High St.

This victory shows that the persistence of campaigning works and what local residents joining together can do!

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