The 'Noble' Lord can't or won't answer the questions @ No 10

Arturo keeps a close eye on several blogs. He keeps returning to one called

Abetternhs

Which reads, in non blog speak, as 'A Better NHS'. He frequently shook his head as he read one of the recent posts. He turned to me and said:
"That Lord Howe bloke, the one who is Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Quality), Health - know who I mean?" I nodded. "It seems, he just will not answer questions. At any rate the sort of questions that might get problematic replies about this new Health and Social Care Bill! Take a look at this blog post!"

It seems that in October a number of health professionals, who are already tearing their hair out with frustration, sent Earl Howe a series of questions about issues they have with the Bill. This is one of the questions:

How does Earl Howe explain the comments he made at the Laing & Buisson Independent Healthcare Forum on 7 September (during the 3rd Reading) in which he informed the audience of private sector providers that there were big opportunities for them to make money by taking patients away from the NHS?

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/newsarticle-content/-/article_display_list/12663018/big-opportunities-for-private-sector-in-health-bill-says-minister

Ummm! 'big opportunities... to make money'. Didn't know that was the purpose of the NHS or even the Health and Social Care Bill! Then again, it probably won't be the NHS once this Bill becomes an Act!

Another question asked:

Several of the US companies which are hoping to come in to the NHS as either providers or commissioners have been in trouble for defrauding the US government. What safeguards will be put in place to stop them applying the same low business standards to their dealings with patients, GPs and the UK government?

http://abetternhs.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/questions/

Oh Boy! Now there is a real concern! How come the 'Noble' Lord has not answered that? These shysters are hoping to come here to the UK and run the NHS!

There is a very worrying story about one such company in the Mirror. Netcare the parent company of the General Healthcare Group is actively lobbying for work in the 'reformed' NHS! Netcare is a South African company with what appears to be a very murky past. According to an article in the Mirror by Jason Beattie on September 6 2011:

A PRIVATE healthcare firm whose wealthy clients were given donor organs bought from children is in talks to run transplant operations for the NHS.

Department of Health officials have already had three meetings this year with representatives of the General Healthcare Group about taking over NHS work.

But a subsidiary of the General ­Healthcare Group – Netcare – was last year fined nearly £700,000 after pleading guilty to illegally transplanting human organs in South Africa.

Health Minister Simon Burns confirmed in a Parliamentary answer that government officials met with the company – which also owns BMI Healthcare – on January 27, April 14 and June 6. They are understood to have discussed possible bids for NHS contracts, including organ ­transplant operations.

Netcare admitted last November that it had recruited children to donate kidneys which were then transplanted to wealthy clients. More than 100 illegal operations were carried out at a hospital in Durban, South Africa, between 2001 and 2003.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2011/09/06/organ-selling-firm-in-nhs-talks-115875-23399313/#ixzz1jYYJ1IPL

What!!! Did I read that right? I don't believe it! The story also horrified Labour MP Gareth Thomas who was quoted in the article as saying:

“This case raises serious concerns about the future of the health service and David Cameron’s plans to allow a far greater number of unregulated private operators to run our health care.”

Other vital questions highlighted in Abetternhs query the ability of The Care Quality Commission to function adequately:

For the last year the CQC has recruited no-one with any medical qualifications for any of its management or inspection roles. The reason appears to be systematic under-funding and management which fails to protest about the fact that it has insufficient funding to do the job properly. The Bill puts the responsibility for technical inspection on to the underfunded and underskilled CQC and mandates no extra funding. Can Lord Howe please elaborate on how the system will be changing to safeguard patients properly?

http://abetternhs.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/questions/

'Noble' Lord Howe - answer these questions! Your government is rushing headlong into a whirlpool of destruction.

In the Abetternhs blog, Dr Lucy Reynolds asks:

What safeguards are to be put in place to stop GPs denying patients treatment under the NHS (and retaining the money saved, as would be permitted by the Bill) then offering to give private treatment for the same complaint (as also permitted by the Bill). None are at present included in the Bill.

So! Lord Howe, what is your answer? Er ...er ... Sorry, I can't hear you! Er... can't you speak up? ... Still can't hear you?

The Abetternhs blog also asks about secure psychiatric care and the apparent lack of safeguards provided in the Bill. One question is:

What safeguards are to be put in place to protect the general public from being involuntarily admitted to profit-making secure mental hospitals which are paid by the number of inmates held?

Another question asked of Lord Howe is:

What safeguards are in place to prevent inmates of secure psychiatric facilities privatised under s13 from being pacified with drugs which have serious permanent side-effects, or with ECT, in order to enable lower levels of staffing to be maintained and more profits made?

http://abetternhs.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/questions/

Lord Howe, can you hear me? What's your answer to the questions?

The 'Gracious' and 'Noble' Tory peer, Earl Howe has had these, and more, questions since October. So far, according to Abetternhs he has not yet addressed a single one.

What on earth does the government think it is doing? What does 'Silver Fox' Lansley think he is doing?

It is a fool or a charlatan who messes with the NHS and hopes to survive in one piece! A fool does not understand the potential fury that will be unleashed once the public really understand what is going on! A charlatan doesn't care. Why not? Because he assumes that by the time the sh** hits the fan, he will have joined the 'Noble' Lord Howe in the House of Lords and be untouchable!

'Bye'