Diane Abbott attacks David Cameron's bogus listening exercise
09 Jun 2011
Shadow Public Health Minister tells Left Foot Forward that Cameron and Lansley have ‘heard very little and learnt nothing’
Diane Abbott MP, the Shadow Health Minister, has attacked the government’s NHS listening exercise, saying that ‘if David Cameron really wants to change his NHS plans, he should have the guts to admit his original plans were a mistake in the first place.’
Writing for Left Foot Forward, Ms Abbott said that the recent care home crisis raised concerns about the government’s current policies, including proposals for the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts, Monitor, to have the twin role of promoting competition as well as the integration of care:
‘David Cameron would do well to listen to the concerns of those people, up and down the country, who saw the harrowing pictures of abuse of vulnerable people at the Winterbourne View unit. Meanwhile, another private care home contractor, Southern Cross, has taken emergency measures to avoid financial collapse. On GP commissioning consortia, one of the concerns that Cameron will have heard during his pause is the public’s concern about the possible role of the private sector in GP commissioning. Although we all agree that the private sector has always had, and will always have, a role in the NHS, the Southern Cross Healthcare disaster shows the dangers of leaving health and social care to the short-term decisions of private equity bosses.
'Indeed, under the Cameron and Clegg NHS plans, the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts, Monitor, could now have the twin role of promoting competition as well as the integration of care.'
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