Lansley defends health Bill plans

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has defended the Government's controversial health Bill after the main medical unions became the latest bodies to declare all-out opposition to the reforms.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) have called for the Bill to be scrapped. It follows a move by the British Medical Association (BMA) in December to also fully oppose the Health and Social Care Bill, currently going through Parliament.

The RCN, the biggest nursing union, said "serious concerns" have not been addressed during the parliamentary process, listening exercise or political engagement and the Bill will not deliver on the principles originally set out.

Recent announcements such as the rise in the cap on private patients being treated in NHS hospitals to almost half (49%) "make the Bill in its entirety a serious threat to the NHS", it said.

But Mr Lansley backed the reforms, saying the opposition to the Bill was more about issues of pay and pensions. He said the legislation was "essential in order to give nurses and doctors clinical leadership".

The leading medical unions have declared their
opposition to the proposed NHS reforms

"I'm afraid the only thing that has happened in the last few weeks that has led to this situation with the Royal College of Nursing is that the two sides of the Royal College of Nursing have shifted," Mr Lansley said.

"There used to be a professional association that was working with us on professional issues and will carry on doing that, but now the trade union aspect of the Royal College of Nursing has come to the fore, they want to have a go at the Government - I completely understand it - but they want to have a go about things like pay and pensions.

"The Bill actually enables the NHS to deliver efficiency savings and improve performance - not least because actually the Bill is part of the process of cutting administration in the NHS. It takes about £1.5 billion a year out of NHS administration costs because it reduces that superstructure of bureaucracy in the NHS - over the course of this Parliament it will deliver over £4 billion savings itself.

"Through the NHS Future Forum we have been out there, making sure, and doing it ourselves time and again, that we're taking staff with us in terms of understanding these issues. And the RCN and the RCM are very clear that they support the principles of the Bill. What they are actually unhappy about is pay, pensions and jobs. I complete understand that.

"But if there were no Bill the same issues would have to be addressed. We inherited a deficit, we are having to manage the NHS within limited increases, but actually next year the NHS budget is going to go up by 2.8%."

©Press Association