Stephen has written to the new Health Secretary, Sajiid Javid, outlining a number of concerns about the the Health and Care Bill which passed its second reading in the House of Commons last week.
The Health and Care Bill is part of the government’s NHS long-term plan. It aims to expand the powers of the Secretary of State and establishes the Health Services Safety Investigation Body. Critics have argued that the changes will erode local accountability for NHS services and give major contracts to the private sector, without adequate scrutiny.
In the last week a number of constituents have contacted Stephen arguing that now is not the time to embark on a major NHS reorganisation,. They note that staff are demoralised and exhausted from the pandemic. In his letter, Stephen expressed his worry that scrapping the local authority obligation to carry out a social care needs assessment before discharge will leave vulnerable patients at risk. He also raised concerns that the bill will allow contracts to be awarded to unaccountable private healthcare providers.
Having sent the letter, Stephen said “The NHS and its staff have been vital during the pandemic. Now is not the time to force through damaging changes that make their work more difficult, and reduce the quality of care for patients and their families.”