Greens fight to expose ‘secret’ NHS privatisation plan

Green Councillors have this week successfully required that plans to drastically cut spending and reduce levels of local NHS services, undergo better scrutiny.

Plans to ‘balance the NHS budget’ locally, known as the ‘STPs’ (Sustainability and Transformation Plans) will now be examined in a special meeting of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee in council.

Last week, the council heard directly from local group Sussex Defend the NHS about the possible devastating impact of these proposed plans, which campaigners fear pave the way to the total privatisation of the NHS.

Green councillors are deeply alarmed that local ‘transformation’ proposals are not being shared with the public or practitioners that they will most affect.

Convenor of the Greens, Cllr Phelim MacCafferty, said: “We are pleased that through our work in council committees, plans for an STP in Brighton and Hove are now officially going to be forced into the light. By demanding that the NHS balances the books the government is imposing cuts on our most vital, free health services. In Dorset, hospital beds are at risk, in Yorkshire, leaked plans show proposals to close wards, and elsewhere discussions are being had about closing A&E. We cannot have that here in Brighton and Hove, and we cannot have these discussions behind closed doors. Make no mistake STP is in part a crippling set of political policies designed to force the NHS to concede many of its front line services to private bidders and contractors.

“Working with medical practitioners, patient organisations, campaigners and the public, the Greens want to help expose these plans for what we fear they really are– a charter for privatisation. We will continue to push tirelessly on Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee, the Health and Wellbeing Board and with the CCG themselves for open, transparent publication of these plans, and proper consultation, rather than allow these plans to be rolled out with no discussion. In Camden [2] the council has published the local STP without waiting for NHS England – there’s no reason we can’t do the same, and allow these plans to be held accountable locally.”