Defend our NHS (From Malvern Gazette)

Defend our NHS

7:00am Wednesday 13th February 2013 in News

CAMPAIGNERS have asked health chiefs to defend the NHS from being broken up by profit-making private companies.

Local representatives from the ‘campaigning community’ 38 Degrees attended the first meeting of the governing body of the South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The group is managed by senior GPs and other clinical leaders who will take over the purse strings for care in the south of the county, including Malvern Community Hospital and Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Figures show that £6.8 million of NHS cash went to private sector providers in Worcestershire in 2011/12, the bulk of which (£5.1 million) was spent on South Worcestershire.

The majority of expenditure was for private hospitals. In 2012/13 expenditure to date (December) is £5.5m across Worcestershire.

The group has organised a ‘Save the NHS’ campaign which has already attracted 605,950 signatures.