Fears of Privatised Health Clinics is top By-election Issue

Private companies look set to play a vastly increased role in the provision of health care in Newham, latest figures suggest. Government policy will see a NHS polyclinic built in every district of the borough. Newly adopted Royal Docks by-election candidate for the Christian Peoples Alliance, Anne-Marie Philip, is making Labour's health plans the top issue in her campaign. She is warning that existing GP-services in the ward risk closure to pave the way for private companies, motivated by the profit principle, with the doctor-patient relationship undermined by the new centre proposed for Silvertown.

Anne-Marie Philip is a 22 year old community activist from E16 who works in the voluntary sector with disadvantaged and excluded individuals. She is also fighting to ensure local people get access to work at the Olympics site and against plans to increase flights by 50% at City Airport. She said:

"The sham of a consultation process by Newham Primary Care Trust (PCT) failed to tell the public about these privatisation plans. In Royal Docks, GP clinics risk closure to pave the way for a polyclinic in Silvertown. If the final proportion of contracts awarded to private companies in Newham reflects the present national trend of 25 per cent, this will significantly expand use of the private sector."

According to data from Pulse, the newspaper for GPs, of the 54 contracts announced nationally so far, 14 have been won by private companies or groups led by the independent sector. Over the next decade, Newham may see private companies running clinics in Green Street (E13 / E7), East Ham (E6), Silvertown (E16),Canning Town (E16) and Stratford (E15).

Pulse magazine found that up to the close of the last bidding round on 31st December 2008, local GPs who gathered together into consortiums won 30 per cent of contracts, the independent sector won 26 per cent and a further 7 per cent were awarded to individual practices.

Anne-Marie Philip, added:

"These results confirm all the fears expressed by Newham GPs that Labour are planning to strengthen the role of the private sector in the NHS. They deepen concerns that some GP-led health centres, and perhaps particularly those run by the private sector, may focus excessively on convenience of access and undermine the long-standing relationship between doctor and patient."

The clinics, which the Government calls GP-led health centres, are designed to bring together a range of services, such as diagnostic testing, minor surgery, blood tests and X-rays. A survey of GP opinion in Newham conducted last June by the Christian Peoples Alliance Group found that of the borough's GP practices, almost half predict that the new polyclinics will force the closure of existing surgeries. Fears were also expressed by local doctors that private providers running health centres in direct competition with existing GP services will cause disruption and the collapse of continuity of care for patients.

www.cpaparty.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Pulse contacted 103 trusts after the end of the national tendering process on 31 December. Of those contacted, 48 had not yet awarded a contract for the polyclinic and one refused to provide details.