30.06.11
Doctors vote down amended reforms
Doctors have rejected the amended NHS reforms, in a snub both to the Government and the BMA’s own leadership team, which had cautiously welcomed the changes.
At the BMA’s conference yesterday, 59% of delegates voted to call for the Health and Social Care Bill to be withdrawn.
The doctors continue to oppose the competition in the health service and what they called “backdoor privatisation”, and ignored calls by the union’s chairman of council Dr Hamish Meldrum for members not to take such a hard line after all the work to win so many concessions from the Government through the Future Forum process.
Dr Meldrum told his members: “If you push too far you may lose some of the ground you have taken.”
The BMA’s stance has softened considerably since its ‘emergency meeting’ in June, but the vote shows that doctors remain to be convinced about the reforms.
A Department of Health spokesman said: “This vote is disappointing because only a few weeks ago the doctors' union said there was much in our response to the listening exercise that addressed their concerns, and that many of the principles outlined reflected changes they had called for.
“The Bill has changed substantially since the BMA first voted to oppose government policy. Our plans have been greatly strengthened in order to improve care for patients and safeguard the future of the NHS.”
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