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This Directive could well mark the beginning of the end of the NHS.

Labour backbenchers attack Health Directive:

“This Directive could well mark the beginning of the end of the NHS.”

Thirty two Labour backbenchers have today put down an early day motion attacking the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on Health Services. The motion argues that “this directive would undermine the fundamental principles of the NHS, impose unnecessary burdens of cost and bureaucracy, over-rule clinical priorities and act to worsen health inequalities.” MPs signing the motion include former Health ministers Frank Dobson and Gisela Stuart, Jon Trickett and Jon Cruddas, and Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party Health Committee John Grogan.

The motion calls for the Government to oppose the directive, which is to be decided by qulaified majority voting under internal market rules. In a press release Jon Trickett, who put down the motion, said: “This Directive could well mark the beginning of the end of the NHS.

EARLY DAY MOTION 526 - Trickett, Jon

EU CROSS-BORDER HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTIVE

10.12.2007

That this House notes the European Commission proposals for a directive on cross-border health services, which in their current form would force the National Health Service to pay private health providers abroad for non-emergency treatment of United Kingdom citizens who are wealthy enough to pay the fees up front, to further develop an internal market by setting a tariff for all treatments and create a bureaucracy to advertise and facilitate the right of patients to seek private treatment abroad;

– further notes that the proposed directive’s legal basis is under the internal market, and that it is explicitly based on encouraging competition between health providers and over-rides the consideration of cost versus medical need;

–further notes the support of Conservative and Liberal Democrat Members of the European Parliament for such a directive; believes that this directive would undermine the fundamental principles of the NHS, impose unnecessary burdens of cost and bureaucracy, over-rule clinical priorities and act to worsen health inequalities; supports the Unison campaign against the proposals; and urges the Government to veto any such directiveSee Gisela Stuart below