CNJ COMMENT - Sale of GP surgeries is a death knell for our NHS

Published: 28 April, 2011

THE sale of the three GP surgeries over the heads of the patients epitomises the impending break-up of the National Health Service.

The company which sold them on regards the sale as a “simple transfer”. As for the patients, says the company, they will receive the same high standard of treatment as before.

Here we come to the heart of the matter because the company – which exists, as do all private enterprises, to accumulate capital and make a healthy return – can only see the patients as customers.

But, in fact, from the 1970s onwards patients were being regarded more and more as component parts of a health system in which it was hoped they would help to oversee it.

With all its faults, the Community Health Councils, on which sat representatives of local organisations, opened the doors to a democratic control of the NHS.

It was under New Labour’s watch that the CHCs were wound up and the initial steps taken to privatise the NHS and thus end any form of public participation in the decision-making process undertaken by GPs and hospitals.

Hanging over the cynical sale of the three surgeries is the lengthening shadow of the privatisation of what remains of a uniquely publicly controlled health system. 

But it should be remembered that New Labour led the way.

There is another dark side to the sale of the surgeries: it is that the patients are now being seen as mere pawns without any rights or responsibilities – the very antithesis of the much-cherished principles of the founding fathers of the NHS.

They are seen as mere numbers in the balance sheets, owned by the proprietorial company, with no significance save as “assets”, to be computed for the annual accounts and – hopefully, from the point of view of the company – to help generate enough revenue to create a healthy net profit.

All this was foreseen in 2008 when opponents of the sale pressed the Primary Care Trust to change tack and accept another bid by local GPs. But Blairite politics held sway and the PCT – almost in a servile manner – opened the door for the private takeover by the company.

Basically, we are witnessing the further commodification of the NHS to help boost a market economy where capital is continually searching for the highest return.

The dismemberment of the NHS – however much this is denied by the Coalition government – is a tragedy for our democracy.