The cost of the government's plans to restructure the NHS is rising at almost £1m a day - http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jul/28/cost-nhs-changes-rising
The Bill finished its second committee stage before the recess, with the Coalition using its majority to get its amendments through. It will return to the Commons on 6th September for report with a vote on 7th September and then be passed through to the Lords.
Meanwhile Andrew Lansley published the government's first response http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Responsestoconsultations/DH_125442 .
This document instructs PCTs to consult about "extending choice" for 8 services, of which each PCT is to choose 3. This is to be done during September/October. Details of this instruction are in the operational guidance - http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_128462.pdf
The Bill is not a done deal and Evan Harris, a doctor and former Lib Dem MP who led the opposition at the Lib Dem Conference, says that despite concessions in the small print, the core privatisation principle remains. Let's hope the Lib Dems can still be persuaded to vote against it - not to mention the Lords. Pressure on MPs and peers must be maintained. The Bill can still be defeated in the Commons if all the opposition MPs vote against it.
38 degrees now have funding to examine the legal issues in much more detail and will be reporting on this soon.
We are a grassroots movement comprising people from all walks of life who are, or will be affected by the government’s austerity measures and spending cuts to NHS Services across England. We also strongly oppose the creeping privatisation of the NHS by successive governments. Privatisation = Profit not Good Patient Care
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