‘York GPs set to profit from NHS privatisation’ says Unite
4 October 2011
Serious concerns about the accelerating stealth privatisation of
the NHS and the veracity of David Cameron’s pledge that the NHS is
safe in his hands have been raised by Unite, the largest union in
the country.
The latest example of the growing privatisation trend is the
York-based Haxby Group Practice of GPs which is touting the
services of HGB Ltd, owned by the practice.
Patients have now been written to by the practice offering such
services as procedures to deal with in-growing toenails at £146.95
and simple viral warts at £156.40. This new ‘Private Minor
Operation Service’ is based at the New Earswick Surgery, New
Earswick, York, YO32 4AG.
Unite’s national officer for health Rachael Maskell said: ”Even
before the government’s vehicle to privatise the NHS – the Health
and Social Care bill – has been approved by parliament, the
insidious stealth privatisation is gathering pace.
”The latest example is the touting of services by the Haxby GPs
through a private company they own - HGB Ltd - for services that
until very recently were provided by the NHS. The GPs are set to
profit from what is the privatisation of the NHS.
”Serious question have to be asked about the use of data
collected for NHS purposes now being used for energetic marketing.
Is patient confidentiality, the bedrock of trust in the NHS, being
compromised in the interests of private profit?
”The impression that is being given is that these services, such
as skin tags, are no longer available on the NHS. This may be a sad
fact of life for this practice, but there are other areas of the
country where these procedures are available on the NHS.
”Why should a pensioner have to pay for an in-growing toenail in
York, but in Oxfordshire - David Cameron’s home turf - it could be
on the NHS?
”More widely, David Cameron’s rhetoric that the NHS is safe in
his government’s hand is increasingly being revealed as a sham –
hollow and threadbare. Now is the time for the House of Lords to
flex its collective political muscle and reflect the nation’s will
and reject the privatisation of the NHS, once-and-for all.”
The marketing activities of the Haxby Group were exposed on
www.nhsManagers.net.
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
For further information please contact Unite communications
officer Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
