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Your support makes all the difference.We believe that the Parliamentary passage of the Health and Social Care Bill has been an embarrassment to our democracy.
Experts in health policy and public, commercial and constitutional law have published evidence in leading peer reviewed medical journals explaining how the Health and Social Care Bill (despite the most recent amendments) will lead to the abolition of the NHS in England. The bill will facilitate the transition from a single payer tax funded system to a mixed funding system, with increasing privatisation of the provision and commissioning of healthcare in England. These drastic changes fundamentally undermine the founding principles of the NHS and have no democratic mandate from the electorate and were not part of the coalition agreement.
As healthcare professionals, we are appalled that the coalition Government has imposed many of the changes before the bill has even been enacted and then tried to use this as “evidence” that the professions support their reform. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Government has systematically failed to make the case for such radical change to the NHS, which has recently been shown to be one of the most cost effective and highly performing healthcare systems in the world, enjoying its highest ever public satisfaction rates. None of the major healthcare representative organisations and professional associations supports the reforms, and the majority of them would like to see the bill withdrawn. From the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to the British Geriatrics Society, healthcare professionals agree that the reforms will damage and fragment the NHS, widen healthcare inequalities, and worsen patient care in England.
Despite such widespread professional concern and opposition to this hopelessly complex, flawed and potentially dangerous legislation, the coalition government has repeatedly blocked the publication of the NHS risk register and continues to push ahead with the bill, which is likely to be granted Royal Assent on Tuesday 20th March. It is our view that coalition MPs and Peers have placed the political survival of the coalition Gmovernment above professional opinion, patient safety, and the will of the citizens of this country.
The leadership of the Liberal Democrats have ignored the democratic view of their spring conference and continue to support a bill, which betrays their proud heritage of Beveridge’s vision of the Welfare State and the NHS. They have colluded with their Conservative coalition partners and utilised all the political dark arts of obfuscation, deceit, and media manipulation to confuse and conceal the bill’s underlying objectives, in order to force the bill through. Liberal Democrat peers have even gone as far as voting against their own amendments.
We are shocked by the failure of the democratic process and the facilitating role played by the Liberal Democrats in the passage of this bill. We have therefore decided to form a coalition of healthcare professionals to take on coalition MPs at the next General election, on the non-party, independent ticket of defending the NHS and acting in the wider public interest.
Dr Clive Peedell, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Co-chair NHS Consultants’ Association
Professor John R Ashton CBE, Liverpool John Moores University
Dr Jacky Davis Co-chair NHS Consultants’ Association
Dr Richard T Taylor FRCP, Independent MP for Wyre Forest 2001-2010
Professor Paul Cullinan, Professor of Occupational and Environmental Respiratory Disease, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London
Professor Alwyn Smith, Past President faculty of Public Health
Professor John O. Warner, President of Academic Paediatric Association (GBI), Professor and Head of Paediatrics, Imperial College, Director of research for the Women and Children’s Clinical Programme Group, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Professor Charles Warlow, Emeritus Professor of Medical Neurology, University of Edinburgh
Professor Derek Cook, Professor of Epidemiology, London
Professor Richard Thomson, professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle
Professor Martin White, Professor of Public Health, Newcastle University
Professor Bertie Squire, professor of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Professor Francesco Pezzella, Professor of Tumour Pathology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
Professor Harry Keen CBE, President of NHS Support Federation
Professor James McEwen, Emeritus Professor in Public Health, University of Glasgow
Professor Paul Dieppe, Director of the Institute of Clinical Education, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Plymouth and Exeter
Professor Jennifer A Roberts, Emeritus Professor in Economics of Public Health, Health Services Research Unit, Department of Public Health & Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Professor Klim McPherson, PhD, Visiting Professor of Public Health Epidemiology, Nuffield Dept Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Emeritus Fellow of New College, University of Oxford
Professor Stuart Logan, Cerebra Professor of Paediatric Epidemiology, Director - Institute of Health Service Research, Director - NIHR PenCLAHRC, Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry, Peninsula Medical School
Professor David Hunter, Professor of Health Policy and Management at Durham University
Professor John Yates, Emeritus Professor of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge, Professorial Research Associate, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Honorary Consultant, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London
Professor William McGuire, Professor of Child Health, HYMS & CRD, University of York
Professor John Gabbay, Emeritus Professor of Public Health, University of Southampton
Prof Peter Whincup, Professor of Epidemiology, University of London
Professor Michel Coleman, Professor of Epidemiology and Vital Statistics, Cancer Research UK Cancer Survival Group, Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Professor Trisha Greenhalgh, OBE, Joint Lead Global Health, Policy and Innovation Unit, Barts and the London
Professor Will Irving, Professor and Honorary Consultant in Virology, University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Dept Microbiology, University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham
Professor Wendy Savage, Emeritus professor Obstetrics and Gynaecology, London, Chair KONP
Professor Robert Tattersall, Retired Professor of Clinical Diabetes at the University of Nottingham
Professor Chris Griffiths, Professor of primary care, Centre for primary care and public health, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London medical school
Professor Ann Louise Kinmonth CBE, Emeritus Professor of General Practice, University of Cambridge
Professor Allyson Pollock, Professor of Public Health Research and Policy, Queen Mary, University of London
Dr Jonathan Folb, Consultant Microbiologist, Liverpool
Dr John Boswell, retired Public Health Consultant, Scotland
Dr Christopher Birt, Consultant in Public Health, Senior Research fellow, University of Liverpool
Dr Maggie Ireland, Consultant Public Health Geneticist
Dr Jonathan Tomlinson, GP, The Lawson Practice, London
Dr Deborah Colvin, GP, The Lawson Practice, London
Dr Nicholas Hopkinson, Consultant Physician, London
Dr Corinne Camilleri-Ferrante, Consultant in Public Health Medicine
Mrs Wendy King, Macmillan Paediatric Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist, London
Dr Eleanor Hill, Public Health Specialist and Independent Health Development Consultant, Worsley
Dr Sian Williams, Consultant in Occupational Medicine, London
Dr Simon Lenton, Consultant Paediatrician, Bath
Dr Sarah Corlett, Consultant in Public Health, London
Dr Liz Anderson, SpR in genito-urinary medicine, Liverpool
Dr Steven Bick, Dorset
Dr Tony Waterston, retired Consultant Paediatrician, Newcastle
Dr Amy Ford, SpR , Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, Wirral
Dr Ruth Suckling, SpR Emergency Medicine
Dr Paul Goulden, Consultant Anaesthetist, Dewsbury
Dr Kailash Chand OBE, Stalybridge
Dr Lance Turtle, Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Fellow, University of Liverpool
Dr Georgina Deighton, GP, London
Dr Julian Hodges, GP, Programme Director, London
Dr Gerard Reissman, GP, Newcastle
Dr Bob Bury, Consultant Radiologist (retired), Leeds
Dr Emma Aarons, Consultant virologist, Surrey
Dr Richard Cunningham, Consultant Microbiologist, Plymouth
Dr Robert J Higgo, Merseyside
Dr Paul Hobday, GP, Maidstone
Dr Neil Todd, Clinical Microbiologist, North Yorkshire
Dr Fahim Tungekar, Consultant/Hon clinical senior lecturer, Histopathology, St Thomas’ Hospital
Dr Roz Dixon PhD, Clinical Psychology, London
Dr Eric Rose, retired GP, Buckinghamshire
Dr Kim Holt, Consultant Paediatrician and Chair Patients First
Dr Valeria Frighi, Clinical researcher, Psychiatry, Oxford
Dr Claire Davies, GP, City and Hackney PCT
Dr David Bostock, retired GP, Stockport
Dr Arif Rajpura, Director of Public Health, NHS, Blackpool
Dr Lynda Bobrow, retired consultant Histopatholgist, Addenbrookes, Cambridge
Dr Morris Bernadt, retired consultant psychiatrist
Dr E M Murphy, GP, Bristol
Dr David Drew, Retired Consultant Paediatrician, Sutton Coldfield
Dr Sheila Cheeroth OBE, GP Principal, Limehouse, Practice London
Dr Jonathan Fluxman ,GP, Harrow Road Health Centre, London
Mr T.J.Fallon, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Central Middlesex Hospital
Dr Jane Young, Consultant Radiologist, Whittington Hospital
Dr Alison Pritchard, Consultant in Public Health, Derbyshire
Dr Charles Clarke, FRCP London
Dr Sally Stewart, GP, Bradford
Dr Louise Irvine, GP, Amersham Vale Practice, London
Dr Abi Berger, Randolph Surgery, London
Dr David C Wilson, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough
Dr David Bossano, General Practitioner, St Leonard's Practice, Exeter
Dr Clare Offer, Speciality Registrar in Public Health, York
Dr Stephanie Franz, GP, Bristol
Dr Kathy McAdam Freud, GP Principal, BLM2, Decima Street, SE1 4QX
Dr Mark Waters, GP Partner, Cantilupe Surgery, Hereford
Dr Rod Escombe MRCP MRCGP PhD, G.P. London
Dr Natasha Arnold FRCP, Consultant Geriatrician , Specialist interest in Intermediate care, Homerton University Hospital, Hackney E9 6SR
Dr John Walley, Leeds
Dr John Robson, General Practitioner, London N2 9NL
Dr Laura Lyttelton MRCGP
Dr. Hubertus von Blumenthal, GP, Gamlingay
Dr Jackie Applebee GP, London
Dr Sebastian Kraemer, Honorary Consultant Tavistock Clinic, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Whittington Hospital London
Dr Ingrid Wolfe, Child Public Health Research Fellow and Paediatrician , London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Health Services Research and Policy
Dr Natasha Gordon, GP, Leeds
Dr Alison Gill, St5 respiratory medicine, Leeds
Dr Patrick Zentler-Munro MA MD FRCP (Edin), Retired Consultant Physician, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
Dr Pete Deveson, GP, Epsom
Dr David Porteous, GP, Fishponds Family Practice, Bristol
Dr Simon Atkins, GP, Bristol
Dr John Pike, Sessional GP, Bristol
Dr Benedict Michael, NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow, Brain Infections UK, Institute of Infection and Global Health, The University of Liverpool
Dr Marcus Beadle, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Calderdale & Huddersfield NHSFT
Dr Jennifer Mindell, clinical senior lecturer, UCL
Dr George Farrelly, GP partner, London
Dr. Helen Groom, GP, Gateshead
Dr Sally Johnston, GP, Hampshire
Dr Nick Mann, GP, Well St Surgery, London
Dr. Jenny Bywaters, Consultant in Public Health (retired), Sheffield
Dr Nigel Dickson, GP, Southampton
Dr Kathy Greenough, GP, Derwentside
Dr Naomi Startin, GP ST3, Lewisham
Dr Shahid M Dadabhoy, Family Practitioner and Educational Facilitator, Chingford
Dr Lucy Reynolds, Consultant Paediatrician, Glasgow
Dr Sylvia Chandler, GP, retired
Dr Viv Taylor, Bethnal Green Health Centre, London
Dr Emma Clow, StR6 Anaesthetics, Bristol
Dr Guru Singh, GP, Bridge Street Medical Practice, Loughborough
Mr Peter Worral, patient, Leicester
Dr Edward Clarke , GP, Vauxhall Primary Health Care, Liverpool
Dr Katherine Teale, Consultant anaesthetist, Manchester
Dr Zaib Davids, consultant psychiatrist
Dr Sahena Haque, Consultant Rheumatologist, ELHT
Dr Mirsada Smailbegovic, Consultant Community Paediatrician, Hackney ARK, London
Dr Joe Brierley, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London
Dr Dan Bernstein, GP, Camden, London
Dr Jasmin Khan-Singh, Associate specialist in SRH, Aneurin Bevan health Board, Cwmbran
Dr Iain Maclennan , Consultant in Public Health
Dr Paul Carter, Consultant Paediatrician (Community), Staffordshire
Dr Sean Hopson, Consultant Anaesthetist, Hawkesbury Upton, South Glos
Anya Gopfert, Policy and Advocacy Director, Medsin-UK
Dr Sunil Bhopal, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Dr Michael Quinn, Royal Exeter and Devon NHS Trust
Dr Anthony Macklon, Consultant Physician, County Durham
Dr Louise Tebboth, Salaried GP, Southwark
Dr Jacqueline Ferguson, retired consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Oxford
Dr Peter Baker, SHO in A&E at the Royal London Hospital
Mr Guppi Bola, Public health campaigner, Big Society NHS
Dr Alan Stanton, Consultant Community Paediatrician , Heart of England Foundation Trust
Mr Barry Fairbrother, retired consultant surgeon, Chesterfield
Dr Jim Ford, Consultant in Occupational Medicine
Dr Thomas Kus, Consultant Paediatrician, Lead for Paediatric Haematology/Oncology, GRH Children's Centre, Gloucester
Dr Donatella Soldi, London.
Dr Tom Yates, Senior House Officer, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dr Mike Lawson, GP Principal, Horton Park Surgery, Bradford
Dr Tessa Katz, GP, City and Hackney
Dr Surinder Singh, GP, Amersham Vale Practice, London
Dr Marek Koperski, GP, Camden CCG
Dr Anne-Marie Childs, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust
Dr Judith Cook GP
Dr Gavin Young, Temple Sowerby, Cumbria
Dr Pete Budden, GP and Salford CCG Prescribing Lead, Eccles, Manchester
Dr Mark Struthers, GP and prison medical officer, Bedfordshire
Dr Richard Morrison, retired GP
Dr Gary Marlowe, GP, City and Hackney GP
Dr Harriet Dickson, GP, Exeter
Dr. Ian F. Pye, Consultant Neurologist, Leicester
Dr Ben Hart, GP principal, Chrisp Street Health Centre, London E14 6PG
Dr Katy Gardner, GP, Liverpool
Dr Lyda Jadresic, Consultant Paediatrician, Gloucester
Dr Anna Livingstone, GP, The Limehouse Practice Gill Street Health Centre, London
Dr Nick Theobald, Clinical Lecturer / Associate Specialist, Chelsea and Westminster
Dr Emma Storr, Clinical Lecturer, Academic Unit of Primary Care, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
Dr Mike Priestnall, Staff grade Anaesthetist at Colchester General Hospital
Dr Helen Murrell, GP, Sunniside Surgery, Newcastle
Dr Karen Franks, Consultant Old Age Psychiatry, Bensham Hospital, Gateshead
Dr.Peter Agulnik, Consultant Psychiatrist, Oxfordshire
Dr C.M.Richards, retired GP Sheffield
Dr Nick Stern, Consultant Hepatologist, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool
Dr Elisabeth Paul, GP Registrar , London
Dr Pat Munday, Consultant Genitourinary Physician, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Dr Sara Hamilton, Part time Paediatrician and Academic, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust & University College London
Dr Bernie Borgstein, Imperial College, London
Dr Roger Bayston, Assoc Professor / Reader, Surgical Infection, Head, Biomaterials – Related Infection Group, School of Clinical Sciences Nottingham University Hospitals UK
Dr Brian B Scott MD, Lincoln
Dr David Lawrence, Consultant in Public Health for IFRs, NHS SE London, Hon Senior Lecturer, Dept Health Services Research and Policy London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dr Sophia Galloway, GP, Steyning Health Centre West Sussex
Dr Andrea Franks, Consultant Dermatologist, Chester
Dr Paul Stern Retired GP
Dr Ruth Stern, Doctor in Public Health, Trustee Medact
Mrs Helene Brandon, MRCOG
Dr Karen Macsween Consultant Microbiologist
Dr Kelvin Davies, GP, Hillcrest Medical Centre, Wrexham
Dr Coral Jones, GP, London Fields medical Centre
Dr Chris Johnstone, GP, Paisley
Dr Kadhim Kadhim, CMT1, Elderly Care, Middlesbrough
Dr Richard Grunewald, Sheffield
Dr Maggie Eisner, Training Programme Director, Bradford Specialist Training Scheme for General Practice, Bradford Royal Infirmary
Dr Andrew Mcpartlin, SpR, clinical oncology
Dr Richard Byng, GP, Mount Gould Plymouth and Clinical Senior Lecturer, Peninsula Medical School.
Dr Sandra Husbands, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, NHS Harrow
Dr Alison Vaughan
Dr Richard Gunstone, Rugby
Dr Ian J. Hart, Consultant Medical Virologist, Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Dr Brian Fisher, GP, SE London
Dr Robert George, Consultant Anaesthetist, Elgin
Dr Paul Gorham, Consultant Paediatrician
Dr Eric Watts
Dr Max Priesemann, MRCPCH
Dr. Frank Arnold
Dr Colin Godber
Dr David Cohen
Dr Kevin O’Kane, Consultant Physician
Dr Andrew Cummin
Dr Carol Brayne
Dr V Thiagarasah
Dr Peter Dawson
Dr Nigel Speight, Paediatrician , Durham
Dr Liz Ford, CT1 Psychiatry
Paul Whalen, Leicestershire Health branch Unison – personal capacity
Dr Anne Solomon, GP, London
Dr Peter Hall, Chair, Doctors for Human Rights
Dr Simon Court, Associate Clinical Lecturer, Newcastle
Dr George Rylance, School of Clinical Medical Sciences (Child Health), University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Dr Pam Zinkin, retired Consultant Paediatrician,
Dr Trish Evans, Salaried GP, Page Hall Medical Centre, Sheffield
Mr Greg Dring, Clinical Psychologist, Bath
Dr Dougal Hargreaves, Research fellow, General & Adolescent Paediatrics Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health
Dr. Anu Kumar, GP and CCG Board member, Hackney PCT
Dr. Lauren Cooper-Jones, GP registrar Tower Hamlets
Dr Richard Chin, clinical lecturer at UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH) and Great Ormond Street NHS Trust
Dr Rachel Besser, Peninsula Medical School
Dr Jane Logan. GP, Vauxhall
Dr Alexis Macherianakis, Consultant in public health medicine, Birmingham
Dr Richard Ayres MD, Academic GP, Plymouth
Dr Peter Williams, Consultant in Acute and Emergency Medicine, Whiston Hospital, St Helens, Merseyside
Dr Vivien M Addey, GP
Dr Shabbir Ahmed
Dr Mark Witcomb, A&E registrar, Farnham
Dr Benjamin Robinson, Timber Wharf, London
Dr Mike Fitchett, GP, Island Health, Tower Hamlets
Dr Benedict McCaffrey, GP, Leominster Herefordshire
Dr J Hampson , Liverpool
Dr Jez McCole ,GP, Gleadless Medical Centre
Dr Paul Batchelor, Consultant in Dental Public Health, Thames Valley Dental Public Health Network and Hon. Senior Lecturer Dental Public Health, UCL
Professor Robert West, Emeritus Professor of Epidemiology, Wales Heart Research Institute[Cardiff University]Heath Park, Cardiff
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