NHS Privatisation (Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats <info@oxfordshirelibdems.org.uk>

NHS Privatisation

November 4, 2005 4:27 PM

The Liberal Democrat Group on Oxfordshire County Council has been disappointed at the lack of interest from the Conservative-led administration in its proposal that the Council explore the notion of a primary health and social care partnership trust for the commissioning of services across Oxfordshire.

"We are as opposed to privatisation of the NHS as any other group", said Lib Dem spokesperson Cllr Janet Godden, "but we are particularly struck by the fact that privatisation could be bad news for social care. We fear that 'joined-up working' may just come to mean that the County Council picks up whatever the privatised primary care trust chooses to abandon. Our proposal for a partnership trust has real advantages. It would make the most of the possibilities for pooled budgets, it would make it easier to have social workers attached to GP surgeries, and to look after people with long term conditions whose health and social care needs are often closely linked. Public health initiatives would be given greater impetus. In fact in terms of primary care the NHS in Oxfordshire could become a real health service rather than a sickness service. This is aspirational of course. It is not something that will be completed in a hurry. But since the structure and management of primary health care is about to undergo huge change we think that now is the right time to look at this idea.

Local government leadership of such a trust would have many advantages. Local government has a strong culture of partnership working, and of involving the public and service users in decision making. Of course professional NHS expertise at all levels would be essential - this is a proposal for a partnership trust, not a take-over bid."