THE GREEN Party Parliamentary candidate for Malvern has called for the repeal of the Health and Social Care Act.
Coun Julian Roskams, candidate for West Worcestershire, has said his party is hoping to ‘put the public at the heart of the NHS’ by ending the substantial cuts to the service.
Brought into force in 2013, the Green Party has said the Act is paving the way for privatisation of services in the NHS for firms to make profit for themselves.
Coun Roskams said: “The Green Party believes in putting the public at the heart of the NHS by bringing an end to the £20billion programme of funding cuts introduced by Labour and carried forward by the Coalition.
“Repealing the Health and Social Care Act and supporting a new NHS Bill would rebuild and reinvest in the NHS so it can provide quality care and support now and into the future.
“Malvern has an increasingly elderly population and elderly people are big users of the NHS and with an ageing population health costs are increasing and steady and reliable public investment for the future of the service must be a priority.”
Dr John Blewitt, chair of the Malvern Hills Green Party, added: “The Act opens the way for the privatisation of the NHS.
“Many private firms are taking over NHS services with the aim of making huge profits for themselves. So far health privatisation has driven up costs and produced worse results for patients.
“PFI hospitals and corporate takeover of out of hours care has been a disaster.”
The party is also hosting a public meeting on the future of the NHS at the Guesten Rooms in Lyttelton Well, Great Malvern, on February 26.
The event, which is open to all those concerned with the future of the service, will run from 7pm to 8.30pm.
Dr Blewitt added: “Free and open discussion about this and other issues is at the heart of our democracy. So far health privatisation has driven up costs and produced worse results for patients.”
