Private firms 'to run failing NHS trusts'

[T_i_B]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7434728.stm

Private firms could be drafted in to run struggling NHS hospitals and primary care trusts in England, ministers have announced.

Executives from companies or from better-performing NHS trusts could be used to replace existing bosses.

Ministers say it is one of a range of options aimed at improving performance, but insist no NHS assets or staff would be transferred to private companies.

The British Medical Association said it had "grave concerns" about the plans.

[enlightenment]

1. yoiks.

Sneaking, creeping American style non-health care coming your way, Britain. You might want to consider putting your collective foot down on that idea.

Grave concerns is an understatement. For profit companies and health care don't mix.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Do NOT let this happen, or you will be reenacting the scenes in Sicko

It's ridiculous over here. Tell your MPs that two Americans warned you against this move. :-)

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Sigh - back in Sept 2006, I made this list of 'Blair projects'

that he either had to get done before resigning, or he could trust Brown to do for him:

# Buy new nuclear weapons from the USA
# Ensure private companies can run nuclear power stations at a profit
# Get passports committed to using fingerprints
# Get at least one major for-profit company (preferably American) running a hospital or PCT receiving all its funds from government, as a pilot
# Get as many faith schools started as possible, before people have second thoughts

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=191&topic_id=18143&mesg_id=18158

#1: done - and Blair forced that through before leaving - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6449005.stm
#2: the Planning Bill is their attempt at this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7438391.stm
#3: Europe looks like getting this through
#4: Here we go
#5: Faith schools set for expansion

Crap.

[fedsron2us]

4. Yeah right. This would be the same private sector expertise

that bankrupted Northern Rock, Bear Sterns etc and is rapidly sending the economy of the western world to Palookaville. More speak your weight policies from a government completely bereft of original ideas and totally unable to cope in a changing world. These old Thatcherite shibboleths are now simply meaningless.

[non sociopath skin]

5. Indeed.

So it's all the sadder that the Great British Public seems set to address the problem by kicking out the Born Again Thatcherites and enthusiastically re-electing the Real Deal.

The Skin

[fedsron2us]

6. Our political and economic structures

are simply not capable of dealing with the problems that now face them. Cameron's Tories are just as clueless as Labour. None of the parties seem capable of tackling the huge problem of debt default combined with spiraling fuel costs. Far sighted politicians would have at least made some attempt to tackle the issue of energy dependence in the UK but as usual it is all spin and sound bites. No one in politics has the guts to take on the corporate vested interests. What is starting to catch up with politicians is that they can privatize the delivery of some service but they can not privatize the blame that follows when it all goes wrong. They now find themselves in the worst of all worlds where they get the flak from the public but they do not actually control delivery. Poetic justice.