Proposed by Councillor Adrian Jones

Seconded by Councillor Pat Glasman

This Council:-

(i)  Expresses its grave concern at the impact on Wirral residents of the Health and Social Care Bill passed recently by Parliament.

(ii)  Notes the extensive opposition from professional bodies representing doctors, nurses and allied health care staff. Their support in delivering any future health care reforms will be crucial and the current absence of that support is a matter of regret and anxiety amongst the public.

(iii)  Recognises that the introduction of a top down structural re-organisation of the NHS at a time that both NHS and the Dept of Adult Social services are working hard to implement integrated patient/carer user services is a distraction and waste of public money which could be put to better use. This undermines both the need for greater clinical cooperation and to find common solutions across health and social care to the enormous financial and demographic challenges we face. In Wirral this is especially crucial given the grave differences in health outcomes and life expectancy across the Borough and the cuts in funding it is currently experiencing.

(iv)  Agrees that the NHS was, and remains, the backbone of dramatically improved health care for millions of UK citizens “from the cradle to the grave”. Recognising, until lately, that it would mean political suicide to dismantle, in pursuance of private health care businesses, what belongs to the whole of the UK people, Tory leaders have paid lip-service to the NHS.

(v)  Notes that in his pre-election promise to the UK people David Cameron publicly declared: “There will be no more top-down reorganisation of the NHS”- shortly before initiating the biggest “top down” reorganisation it has ever faced. The LibDem/Tory collaboration government now seeks to “modernise” the National Health Service backwards by replacing an integrated national “not for profit” service with a chaotic patchwork of localised competitive hospitals and GP consortia motivated by “market forces” dogma.

(vi)  Further notes that the LibDem/Tory government’s decision to dismantle the NHS is fundamentally at odds with the Beveridge principles to which the former Liberal Party contributed so much.

(vii)  Welcomes the LibDem Party’s Spring Conference decision to reject its Parliamentary Party’s collaboration with Tory privatisation plans for the NHS. It is however extremely regrettable that LibDem MPs ignored this and voted with their Tory allies to pass this Bill. Furthermore, the changes to the legislation in its passage through Parliament have resulted in chaotic, inconsistent and incoherent arrangements which are forcing GPs to spend more of their time on management and administration, leading to a less effective Primary Care service.

In the light of the absence of any mandate from the public for these changes and given that the NHS had the highest approval ratings in its history at the time of the last General Election, Council agrees to lobby Wirral MPs to repeal this legislation at the earliest opportunity.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2)

Proposed by Councillor Phil Gilchrist

Seconded by Councillor Ann Bridson

Delete all text and replace with:

1.  This council notes the record of the last Labour Government in supporting private sector involvement in the NHS:

(a)  Labour paid private providers on average 11% more than the NHS for the same service and allowed patients to be treated by private providers in Independent Sector Treatment Centres;

(b)  Out of hours work was handed over to the private sector;

(c)  Labour wasted £12 billion on a computer system that never even worked. With this money they could have paid the salaries of 60,000 nurses for a decade;

(d)  Under Labour £250 million of patients’ money went to private providers to pay for operations they didn’t even perform;

(e)  Under Labour private providers were given fixed payments for care completed, they could pick easy to treat cases, undercut the NHS and pocket the profit;

(f)  Private consultancy costs reached £314 million under Labour, an increase of 78% since 2007;

(g)  Under Labour children living in the poorest areas of the country could expect to live seven years less than a child in the richest;

(h)  Labour left the present Government a £60 billion bill for the NHS from PFI (Private Finance Initiative) contracts.

2.  This council notes that Labour’s 2006 NHS Act allowed private providers to compete with the NHS on price, and notes that Liberal Democrats have stopped this, ensuring that any competition will now be based on quality of care, not price.

3.  Council further notes that the Health Bill comes after more than a decade of Labour mismanagement of the NHS during which time, billions were wasted on failed ICT systems, budgets spiraled out of control and parts of the NHS were taken out of public control.

4.  Council also notes the other work carried out by Liberal Democrats in supporting our NHS including:

(a)  Amending the Bill so that private providers can’t cherry-pick easy, profitable cases;

(b)  Ensuring that there are no favours for the private sector – outlawing Labour’s record of paying private providers above and beyond the NHS price;

(c)  A new duty for every part of the NHS to tackle health inequalities;

(d)  Securing changes to the new health regulator, Monitor, so that its primary purpose will be protecting patient’s interests, not promoting competition;

(e)  Making sure that the Secretary of State keeps a responsibility to maintain a universal, comprehensive health service

5.  Council also recognises Lib Dem achievements in ensuring local democracy has a greater influence in the health service, including:

(a)  The return of much of the public health system to its rightful place in local government;

(b)  Greater democratic accountability over the Health service through Health and Well Being Boards;

(c)  For the first time ever, Overview and Scrutiny Committees will be able to scrutinise all health service providers - including any private providers.

(d)  Securing changes to the Bill so that Foundation Trusts cannot focus on private income at the expense of NHS patients.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

The amendment was put and carried (36:29) (One abstention).

The substantive motion was put and carried (36:29) (One abstention).

Resolved (36:29) (One abstention) –

(1)  This council notes the record of the last Labour Government in supporting private sector involvement in the NHS:

(a)  Labour paid private providers on average 11% more than the NHS for the same service and allowed patients to be treated by private providers in Independent Sector Treatment Centres;

(b)  Out of hours work was handed over to the private sector;

(c)  Labour wasted £12 billion on a computer system that never even worked. With this money they could have paid the salaries of 60,000 nurses for a decade;

(d)  Under Labour £250 million of patients’ money went to private providers to pay for operations they didn’t even perform;

(e)  Under Labour private providers were given fixed payments for care completed, they could pick easy to treat cases, undercut the NHS and pocket the profit;

(f)  Private consultancy costs reached £314 million under Labour, an increase of 78% since 2007;

(g)  Under Labour children living in the poorest areas of the country could expect to live seven years less than a child in the richest;

(h)  Labour left the present Government a £60 billion bill for the NHS from PFI (Private Finance Initiative) contracts.

(2)  This council notes that Labour’s 2006 NHS Act allowed private providers to compete with the NHS on price, and notes that Liberal Democrats have stopped this, ensuring that any competition will now be based on quality of care, not price.

(3)  Council further notes that the Health Bill comes after more than a decade of Labour mismanagement of the NHS during which time, billions were wasted on failed ICT systems, budgets spiraled out of control and parts of the NHS were taken out of public control.

(4)  Council also notes the other work carried out by Liberal Democrats in supporting our NHS including:

(a)  Amending the Bill so that private providers can’t cherry-pick easy, profitable cases;

(b)  Ensuring that there are no favours for the private sector – outlawing Labour’s record of paying private providers above and beyond the NHS price;

(c)  A new duty for every part of the NHS to tackle health inequalities;

(d)  Securing changes to the new health regulator, Monitor, so that its primary purpose will be protecting patient’s interests, not promoting competition;

(e)  Making sure that the Secretary of State keeps a responsibility to maintain a universal, comprehensive health service

(5)  Council also recognises Lib Dem achievements in ensuring local democracy has a greater influence in the health service, including:

(a)  The return of much of the public health system to its rightful place in local government;

(b)  Greater democratic accountability over the Health service through Health and Well Being Boards;

(c)  For the first time ever, Overview and Scrutiny Committees will be able to scrutinise all health service providers - including any private providers.

(d)  Securing changes to the Bill so that Foundation Trusts cannot focus on private income at the expense of NHS patients.