In a new move to weaken the UK's National Health System and shift resources towards privatized health care, the government of England is introducing so called "personal health budgets."
(For details, see "Warning issued on impact of patient control over budgets," by clicking "continue reading" below).
UNISON, a PSI affiliate which represents NHS health workers, vigorously opposes the move. Karen Jennings, UNISON's head of health warns that the policy "would take money out of the NHS and divert it to private firms."
The commercialization of health care would have devastating effects. As Ms Jennings warned last year in a joint statement by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers Association (HOSPEEM): "We cannot let market forces run healthcare systems or we will end up with a two-tier system of healthcare delivery....the universal principles of healthcare solidarity are the starting point and not the internal market."
(see story dated 9 June, 2009 by clicking "continue reading" below)
Extract from: healthcarerepublic.com
Warning issued on impact of patient control over budgets
Jonn Elledge, Independent Nurse,
02 November 2009
Giving patients in England control of their own budgets will 'damage the NHS', public sector union Unison has warned.
The DoH is piloting personal health budgets intended to give patients more control over how money is spent on their care. Until now, pilots have allowed patients to make choices about their care but the budgets have remained in the hands of third parties, such as GPs, PCTs or charities.
However, ministers now want to pilot a scheme in which patients receive cash payments which they can then spend on their own care.
The bill allowing such payments is likely to become law next month and the DoH has launched a consultation on the best rules for making payments, and on proposals for setting up and evaluating pilots.
But Karen Jennings, head of health at Unison, warned that direct payments would take the NHS in 'the wrong direction'.
She said it was right to give patients greater say over their care, but that allowing them to 'pick and mix' their treatment would take money out of the NHS and divert it to private firms.
'Choosing the most effective treatment from a range of options is not an easy decision for patients,' she said.
'There is always a possibility that if a patient exhausts their budget, either they will have to pay to top up their care, or the NHS will be left to foot the bill - neither of which is acceptable.'
Unison was 'totally opposed' to the policy, she said. 'It could easily pave the way to means-testing, patient top-up fees for services, or greater barriers to treatment for those who most need it.'
She added that it would have 'massive implications for workforce planning, NHS budgets, for a two-tier NHS and for staff training and development'.
EU unions send message to ministers on healthcare
(9/06/09) "We cannot let market forces run healthcare systems or we will end up with a two-tier system of healthcare delivery."That was the message from the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) – represented by UNISON's Karen Jennings – and the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers Association (HOSPEEM) to EU health ministers, as cross-border healthcare was being discussed by in Luxembourg today.
Addressing 600 public service trade unionists at the EPSU Congress in Brussels, the unions and employers united in urging ministers to base the directive on a joint legal basis of public health and internal market.
This would allow member states to ensure that all citizens have equal rights to high-quality healthcare based on medical need, and not just the ability to pay their travel, accommodation and other costs.
Ms Jennings, who is chair of the EPSU healthcare committee, said: "The EU ministers, meeting today, have a chance to put this health debate back on the right track, by recognising that the universal principles of healthcare solidarity are the starting point and not the internal market."
Comments