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    Miliband: 'Kill The Government's Health Bill'

    Ed Miliband has written to the House of Lords urging them to "kill the Government's health bill" as pressure grows on the coalition to abandon the reforms.

    The Labour leader's letter accuses Prime Minister David Cameron of being "increasingly out of touch" over the future of the health service.

    Both Mr Cameron and Health Secretary Andrew Lansley have been facing growing calls to amend or scrap the plan altogether.

    Mr Miliband claims the reforms to the NHS will "import the model of the privatised utilities into British healthcare".

    "On behalf of my Party, I want to extend this offer to peers of all parties and of none: we will work with you to stop this Bill damaging the NHS," he wrote.

    "Recent weeks and months have shown just how widely the concerns about this Bill are shared - not just among patients and the public, but also among doctors, nurses and other NHS staff.

    "The Government would have us believe that those who oppose this Bill are 'vested interests'. I think that is deeply insulting to people who have devoted their lives to working in the NHS and care about its future.

    "I want you to know that Labour has made an offer to put party differences aside and work with the Government on reform objectives we all share, such as greater clinical involvement in commissioning and the funding of social care.

    "But ultimately, the NHS is too important to stand back and let this Bill damage it. I hope we can all work together to protect the future of our National Health Service."

    The letter comes just a day after three Conservative Cabinet ministers reportedly "rang the alarm bell" over the plans - with one apparently comparing them to the poll tax.

    The website ConservativeHome warned the controversial planned shake-up was "electorally fatal" and that most of the plans should be scrapped.

    There have been calls for Mr Lansley to resign but the politician has continued to defend the reforms.

    The Government has already "paused" the Health and Social Care Bill and accepted dozens of amendments since it was first introduced.

    But the concessions have failed to quell protests from professional bodies such as the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing.

    The legislation has already suffered one defeat since reaching the Lords and there are fears that the process could drag on into next month.

     
    • Troll  •  3 months ago
      Stop Health tourists, sex changes, IVF treatment and unneccesary cosmetic surgery. Make these people go private! Also charge the weekend binges who get themselves into such a mess they need ambulances and health professionals to sort them out.
      • Roger 3 months ago
        It is wrong assumption that NHS is free for all. Overseas visitors outside Europe 90% are on insurance worth £50k-200k before they make travel. They need to give that details in NHS reception including A/E. A hospital bed in normal ward is charged near £200-£500 per night and £2000-£3500+ medicines for Intensive care per night. Basically privatizing NHS means extension of these bills to common British man.
      • ...... 3 months ago
        Every visitor has a right to free emergency care in the UK regardless of insurance. People travelling from some countries don't even have to have health insurance when they travel. The NHS is overwhelmed chasing money owed by foreign nationals. So lets not live under the belief that they pay their way.
      • Pedro 3 months ago
        Troll, i can agree with some of what you say (especially the drunks) but IVF should be allowed. Up to a couple of kids ayway!
    • mark  •  Manchester, England  •  3 months ago
      Rather than slanging matches and just doing thumbs up / down to peoples comments, could someone come up with a long term solution to the NHS? Should it stay as it is? or does it need change? If it needs change, what would that look like and how would the change benifit the public and patient?
      • John 3 months ago
        Dismantle the socialist tax-eating monster.
      • Stephen 3 months ago
        Cant be changed. It just needs to be there as and when needed no matter what it costs.
      • Dion G 3 months ago
        Yeah but im not saying it here you never know where Politicians are looking they will steal any people's idea's water them down so it can be acceptable to the private financiers who financed the parties election campaigns and now want their money back and more in the form of favourable laws. The people have many idea's but never should we let the parties water them down and mess them up, we should accept things will get worse and our only solution is revolution like Greece, many arab States and increasingly being called for in America too.
    • Alan  •  Maidenhead, England  •  3 months ago
      Some ways to save NHS money are stop transgender operations , cosmetic operations other than birth defects or accident repair , ivf should be done in private clinic . Cut down on management staff . I am a retired RGN I know how the system works ...
      • The Kat 3 months ago
        I agree with you on the cosmetic ops on NHS. And I agree with the need to cut down on the over staffed managers in the NHS who are on high pay for doing very little. But if the Bill goes through there will be mass job losses and it wont be managers. It will be the front line staff, again.
      • Frank R 3 months ago
        It's pifling peanuts - the vast majority of the NHS budget goes on wages not treatments. What you need is a far more efficient service which then needs considerably less staff. People bang on about managers and I would agree there are too many layers BUT there is way too many general admin staff in the NHS.

        When I saw my specialist in a French hospital there was ONE woman who was secretary/admin for 5 specialists - here my specialist has a personal secretary and his unit has three other admin support staff doing what god only knows! It is ludicrous and little wonder every single time I am there which is quite often all I see the three doing is chatting and laughing.

        At that rate 5 specialists require 20 staff where in France by some miracle it only takes one.. and if you needed a letter the specialist gave it to her there and then and she typed it, and you took it with you!
      • MBA 3 months ago
        Its a shame potential loving parents need infertility treatment, when people who dont care can have have more children than they can afford.
    • Waino  •  Kidderminster, England  •  3 months ago
      Mr Cameron gave an assurance before the election about the NHS he now needs to show that he is a man of his word.
      • DAVID 3 months ago
        ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
      • M 3 months ago
        ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
      • abidemi 3 months ago
        YOU GOT IT TOTALLY, HIS JUST A BLOODY LIAR, CAN LET HIM BE A ROLE MOTHER TO YOUR CHILDREN
    • trods  •  London, England  •  3 months ago
      If you believe The NHS is safe with Tory's - then you probably believe "we are all in it together"!!
      • James 3 months ago
        You have other suggestions which will prevent us ending up like Greece. I mean like the last government spent EVERYTHING
      • Ormeside 3 months ago
        James, Greece is not the NHS, you Bloody Tory Fool !
      • sp Blakeny 3 months ago
        Suppose you would send us back to Blair and Brown who got us into this mess.
    • jeff  •  3 months ago
      Why should millions of immigrants who paid no taxes suddently use our NHS!!! I am not paying taxes to fund the lot of burkha-clad women in my local surgery!
    • sandra  •  3 months ago
      We are swamped with immigrants-our NHS was setup to accomodater British people. Not half of asia and africa. Can we have some sanity back and close the borders.
    • D.  •  Birmingham, England  •  3 months ago
      Abolish all private medicine then no one has to pay.After all the implants debacle has proved private medicine is happy to take your money but not willing to live up to its moral responsibilties unless threatened with legal action.Why if private medicine is so good do cases which go wrong end up being dealt with by the NHS?At least then those who wish to work in the NHS will do so full time.
    • Karl Klyder  •  Ilford, England  •  3 months ago
      The NHS cannot cope with so many immigrants!!! . Nor can our schools or public services. Uncontrolled mass immigration is the REAL problem. Untill this issue,the biggest since WW2, addressed it will never be resolved. WE ARE TOTALLY OVERPOPULATED-THE LIFT IS FULL.
    • Gareth Roberts  •  Tonypandy, Wales  •  3 months ago
      You have been warned, once its gone there is no going back, it will be gone forever !
    • Big H  •  Woking, England  •  3 months ago
      In reality the NHS needs sorting big time. Too many pen pushing non jobs and managers involved at great expense to the tax payers. Get rid of all the wasters and keep the medical staff, maintenance staff and cleaning staff. The odd matron would also not go amiss.
    • M  •  3 months ago
      Forget about bashing labour politics for the moment (they are each as bad as one another) and stay focused on what could or may happen if we don't. For instance, do you really want your local hospital open to filling half of its beds with private patients? You don't have to be that farsighted to realise the consequences of that. Few will deny the NHS needs sorting out - even those of us who have worked in the system or still do. However, it needs practical and sensible solution from people who know and understand heathcare inside out - not private companies given the opportunity to make a few million bucks as cheaply as possible. Let your watchwords be 'patients before profit, not the other way round.
    • nick  •  Birmingham, England  •  3 months ago
      privatisation, to the gen this stinks. this has a major factor why this country is left with nowt. no owned industries there fore NO REAL JOBS, a greater division between the rich and the poor, despite pensioners having paid great amounts into the nhs, the pensions are poultry because we are overloading with immigrants whom are taking the perks our aged should be receiving. our governments are overlooking the responsibility of this countries needs in preferance to nosing into other countries affairs and loading their personal pockets. the tories and labour parties are repeatingly failing us, lets be honest thatchers policies frigged our prospects what bit we had so why not start anew with UKIP
    • Will  •  3 months ago
      How much will Lansley profit from his friend in the private health care Business.
    • Trevor Bain  •  3 months ago
      I work for the NHS and everyone is scared to say the truth-THERE ARE TOO MANY IMMIGRANTS FOR THE NHS TO COPE WITH. Hospitals in London are now at breaking point with the massive influx of immigrants.Somalis,Pakistanis. Indians ,Bengalis, chinese-ALL NON EU!!! I beg Cameron to stop this madness and save our NHS and our country.
    • wodgot  •  3 months ago
      The Government's Health Bill needs to be killed before it starts killing vulnerable people in Britain. People need Health Bills which are non-exploitative and friendly.
    • up the republic  •  3 months ago
      it should go back to the start where matron was in charge, no private secretarys for surgeons no "hospital managers" just doctors nurses and the head of everything MATRON
    • MICHAEL  •  3 months ago
      Everyone inclusing those working in the health service are against this one. I have come to the comslusion the Cameron is in need of the NHS right now. It appears he has very deffective hearing. He can't not be listening to everyone surely?
    • Bubbleburster  •  South Croydon, England  •  3 months ago
      As Cameron and Lansley sprint towards the touch line passing the ball between each other it needs Cleggy & Co to perk up bring them down with a flying tackle. What a cheer that would bring from the NHS fans desperately watching from the terraces.
    • boatman  •  3 months ago
      Medical side leave alone Reality lesson sort out overstaffed overpaid admin surely one seriously overpaid manager could run maybe 3-5 hospitals instead of 1 then sort out purchasing and whether private contracts are really cheaper /best option