Last chance to extinguish this threat to the NHS

well said kailash. i am afraid house of lords will do nothing and changes will become law. i wish lords can influnce this bill. i very much doubt it

I am very much afraid that Dr Bhatt is right and our unelected peers are as powerless as the rest of us!

Great article! Kailash sums up the main concerns well and reminds us how high the stakes are. Most importantly he says that the battle is not yet over and I agree with him. With so many forces lined up against this bill its future is certainly not at all predictable. This is all about politics. There's a reason the coalition have tried so hard to disguise, confuse and conceal the main purpose of the bill - and that is because they know it would be deeply unpopular with the public and should the public become aware it would be a political liability. Unfortunately most people are still not aware of what the bill means. As doctors its our job to publicise this as we do have influence and the respect and trust of most of the public. We are still a democracy and politicians have to listen to the public. The Lib Dem peers (and then the MPs when it goes to the commons again) have to feel that they will lose any public support they still have if they are seen to sell the NHS down the river. Unfortunately our voice as doctors has been muted and equivocal. Apart from the RCGP the medical royal colleges have said little or nothing; the BMA still hesitates and instead of campaigning for withdrawal of the bill as agreed at the ARM is urging withdrawal or "significant amendments" - even though there was no motion at the ARM calling for significant amendments. The message this gives is so wishy washy that no wonder Cameron thinks he can get away with saying the medical profession supports the bill! So far the BMA has failed to start the promised public campaign - if they wait any longer the bill will have passed and an opportunity to influence the public and thereby to influence politicians, peers and MPs will have been lost! So please all write to your royal colleges urging them to come out against the bill; write to BMA urging it to start a public campaign; write to peers and MPs; sign Jonathan Folb's letter open letter to the Lords (I think you can find it on doctors.net); write to your local papers etc. It's true that despite all this effort the bill still may be passed but if you don't do anything then it will certainly be passed. Its not the time to be defeatist. If we make some more effort now we have nothing to lose and possibly a lot to gain.

"More than 150 scientists, surgeons and doctors have written to NHS professional bodies"
Those who signed that letter who also work for the NHS/ NHS quangos, or their superiors, were summoned to explain themselves to the CMO. Scary. I am writing about this, because my partner was one of those who signed. His boss was summoned to the CMO, and was told to discipline my partner. My partner now feels too scared to publicise what happened. Orwell here we come.

Anonymous, Private GP, 07 Oct 2011
Are we living in UK or Zimbabwe?
What a shame!!!!

Fantastic review of NHS of the past. We need NHS of the Future.
Change is inevitable. We live in a changing world. Some people call it reform, others may call it part privatisation, other may label it as some form of rationing.
The pundits have correctly warned the Government that state cannot provide cross boundary care of every sick or disabled person needs whether it is NHS provided or social services provided. There is an enormous cost of evidence and non evidence based drugs specially in cancer care and organ replacement.
So where do we draw the line. Status quo cannot be maintained. Hence some changes will be good and others will be a disaster. Dedicated GP,s and Dedicated Consultants wont exist anymore. Manager driven, Manager led services box standard service without innovation will be provided and numbers game will be god of medicine. Change for the better or change for the worse, only time will tell. In the end there is no right or wrong way to readjust the thermostat of New NHS.
VK Nothwest

Andrew Lansley & David Cameron keep repeating the lie that the reforms have the
backing of the health professions. They do not. Neither
do they have the public’s support. The Health and Social Care Bill will erode the NHS’s ethical and cooperative foundations and will not deliver effi ciency, quality,fairness, or choice.I agree it is time the peers in house of lords extinguish this flawed undemocratic legislation.