Anonymous Healthcare Professionals Operate Behind Closed Doors (638)

To the Health Secretary / CEO of Livewell Southwest Ltd.

For Clarity - Attempt 638.

638) Anonymous Healthcare Professionals Operate Behind Closed Doors.

Dear Jeremy Hunt,

The Guardian tells us that, "Labour demands inquiry into privatisation of NHS-owned recruiter." 

Although the myth that privatisation is the cure for all ailments has long since been discredited (the hopeless state of Southern Rail / the dysfunctional energy market / the captured market in private redress) this does not appear to have deterred you from taking the absurd decision to hand over something that works perfectly well - the NHS owned recruiter, NHS Professionals - to private owners.

It's fixed so I'll break it would appear to be your guiding philosophy. Justin Madders, Labour shadow health minister, when commentating in The Guardian on your proposals said,
"This deal is being pushed through behind closed doors."

This seems to be how many of the 207 about-to-be Privatised Health Services prefer to do their "business" - behind closed doors and as far away as is possible from an acceptable degree of democratic scrutiny.

Such operating practices are profoundly undemocratic.

Mr Hunt, doesn't The Guardian's article show just how ideologically driven and unscrupulous your belief is in the supposed virtues of abandoning OUR NHS to free market capitalism, with its attendant encircling vultures greedy to feast on those big profits David Cameron's adviser Mark Britnell spoke of back in May 2011? (The Observer 15 May 2011: David Cameron's says health reform is a chance to make big profits)

Q. Mr Hunt, wouldn't the democratic way of handling this to have been a full and open debate on the floor of the House of Commons where MPs could have voiced their constituents' concerns?
Q. Mr Hunt, how many constituents have voiced their concerns about NHS nursing care decisions made by Anonymous Healthcare Professionals also behind closed doors ie like the ones at Livewell Southwest Ltd and why aren't these decisions recorded and made available for public scrutiny?

The privatisation process began with the tacit agreement of the Liberal Democrats and without any meaningful scrutiny of CCGs by Parliament. Here we are now in the 2017 summer recess and once again - without proper Parliamentary scrutiny - a successful money saving part of the NHS is to be privatised.

Already, at NHS companies such as Livewell Southwest Ltd patients don't have an automatic right to see their medical records, they are their records after all, instead they have to pay a tax - the Data Protection Act Fee - for the privilege. Similarly, decisions, often involving huge amounts of patients' money - are made behind closed doors by anonymous individuals.

Q. Mr Hunt, is it the Conservative Party's non-manifesto intention that a significant part of Mark Britnell's Big Profits are going to be made by unaccountable people operating behind closed doors and how does this satisfy Mrs May's requirement for the Conservative government to stand up, challenge vested interests and right wrongs?

Q. Mr Hunt, by choosing to conduct yourself in this way are you not siding with those very vested interests the Prime |Minister expects you to stand up to and by failing to do so are you not intentionally creating yet further wrongs?

Yours sincerely,

Steve Gilbert.

The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign is at - www.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com - Ombudsmans Sixtyone-percent.