SHADOW health secretary Andy Burnham has warned that the North-South divide in health inequalities will widen if the controversial NHS changes become legislation.
His views come as figures show that the North East NHS has been told to set aside £143,350,133 to pay for the Government’s plans over the next two years.
Government guidance – in the NHS “Operating Framework” document that was published in November – will require health trusts to set aside part of their budget to pay for the coalition’s changes for the Health and Social Care Bill.
Mr Burnham and Labour’s Shadow Health Team will today visit the region to meet frontline NHS staff, and they will also address members of the public and healthcare professionals at their “Drop the Bill” campaign event at Newcastle’s Centre for Life.
Speaking to The Journal ahead of his visit, Mr Burnham, pictured, said: “The North-South divide in terms of life expectancy will not improve under the NHS reforms as the changes could create the loss of health services and resources.
“The Government is not listening to people or talking to doctors about their concerns as they are not engaging with the medical profession.
“The changes have very real, damaging consequences for patients and it could lead to the fragmentation of health services. I believe the Bill spells the end of the NHS.
“It is essential that people are aware of the negative effect that the Bill will have on the North East.”
Figures released by the Labour Party suggests the Government’s guidelines will force the NHS to set aside millions of pounds more than previously thought to cover reorganisation costs – funds that would be better spent on patient care and tackling health inequalities.
Under the Health and Social Care Bill that is currently going through the House of Lords, the proposed changes will increase competition and give clinicians control of budgets.
The Operating Framework requires all Primary Care Trust’s (PCT) to set aside 2% of their budget in 2011/12 and 2012/13. County Durham PCT is having to set aside the most amount of money, followed by Sunderland Teaching PCT and Northumberland Care Trust.
Mr Burnham added: “To force local health trusts in the North to set aside millions to pay for bureaucracy and redundancies, when patients are waiting longer for treatment, is wrong.
“David Cameron’s reckless reorganisation is hitting the NHS hard, with costs topping £3.45bn across the country.
“People in the North did not vote for it and our doctors, nurses and patients have already expressed huge concerns at the plans.
“Yet David Cameron is ploughing on with his Health Bill, ignoring public and professional opinion. I want to see for myself the reality on the ground in the North East and hear directly from staff so I can use their experiences to challenge this out-of-touch Government.”
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “The Health and Social Care Bill will both safeguard the future of our NHS and move us closer to a health service that puts patients at the heart of everything it does.”
The Government is not listening to people or talking to doctors about their concerns
