Monday, 14 January 2013

Lobby will urge NHS Calderdale to keep our NHS Public

Calderdale Save Our Services will call on NHS Calderdale to keep our NHS Public at a lobby of the next NHS Clinical Commissioning Executive Meeting.

This will be the first meeting of the NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Executive that has been made open to the public.

The lobby will take place on Thursday 17 January, starting 1.15pm at F Mill, Dean Clough, Dean Clough Road / Lee Bridge (next to the Travelodge, entrance via Gate 9).

The Government has given its new NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups enormous powers to privatise our NHS.

NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group is already inviting Private Healthcare providers to promote their services to the CCG Board.

In 2012, Virgin Healthcare took over part of the Dermatology service for a year in Calderdale.

The Government has ordered three services - Audiology and Hearing, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Non-Obstetric Ultrasound in Calderdale to be commissioned via the “Any Qualified Provider” initiative. This is another route to increased private provision of NHS Services. Primary Care Psychological Therapies are already provided under this initiative.

Pete Keal, Secretary of Calderdale Save Our Services said:"Many people are worried about the impact of Government policy on the Health Service.

"Over 1,000 Calderdale Residents have signed a petition to protect the NHS and we call on NHS Calderdale to do its utmost to maintain a comprehensive, publicly run Health Service in Calderdale."