Local and European Elections May 22nd

Here are some NHS related questions for Council and European Parliament candidates which might help if you get into discussion with any of them. Particularly in the local elections, candidates may not be able to answer specifically, but one or more of these should help reveal attitudes and degree of interest.

Local Elections

Do you oppose the NHS being forced into open and competitive tendering for services (opening them up to be taken over by the private sector) where there is public and professional support for preferred NHS provider arrangements?

What is your view on Sheffield Council's decision to put the learning disability service, currently provided to the Council under contract from the NHS, out to tender? Do you support the Council's recommendation that the decision should be left to officers rather than be part of the political process?

Do you agree that the public health budget for the City Council should be ringfenced for public health issues?

Do you agree that important changes to NHS and council services should be put out for proper and timely public consultation, no matter who instigates them?

Do you agree that the extension of charging for access to healthcare included in the Immigration Bill risks widening health inequalities, threatening communicable disease control, and costing more to implement than is recouped in payments? If so, do you oppose its implementation?

What do you think about the Government's decision to postpone the Better Care Fund which would enable NHS money to support local authority social care?

European Elections

Do you oppose major NHS services being put out to competitive tender, thus opening them up to be taken over by the private sector. Are you prepared to work in the European Parliament to help minimise the attempts by big corporations to erode the provision of publicly funded healthcare?

Do you agree that health care should be exempted from the proposed EU/USA Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement?

29th May Postscript
At the hustings there were positive commitments to the NHS and to support on health issues in Europe from both Labour and Green MEP candidates. However there was a lot of concern from the floor about EU competition law and the proposed EU/USA trade agreement. The effect of the UKIP showing on the NHS is not clear. Farage is apparently going to include NHS issues prominently in his new manifesto to be launched in Doncaster this autumn. Expect this to be a pretty uninformed attack on bureaucracy "There is plenty of room for cuts and efficiencies" BBC interview July 2013. Other UKIP candidates (e.g. Paul Nuttall NW UKIP MEP) explicitly support privatisation. Ironically Le Pen's party in France is strongly against the Trade Agreement but we don't think this will be UKIP's position, if indeed they consider the issue at all.