SIR – Pensioners in the General Election will probably be concerned about the NHS.
On October 8, Eric Pickles was asked during Question Time on BBC2: “Is there any limit beyond which you would NOT privatise the NHS?”
Pickles (pictured) refused to answer six times.
Does it matter?
On December 30 Dr Chris Smith, a London GP, wrote about his experience of the privatised out-of-hours GP service.
He wrote: “Over Christmas I did several out-of-hours shifts in Hampshire. The waiting-times for home visits were often in excess of 12 hours (the ‘target’ is 6).
“The majority of these patents were frail and elderly, vulnerable and often unable to speak out.
“In one tragic case, I was greeted by the patient’s grieving son and daughter.
“She had called the out-of-hours service 12 hours previously, complaining of breathing problems. By the time I arrived her body had been taken to the undertakers.”
Dr Smith added: “As an insider, I can see under-resourced out-of-hours services having a knock-on effect on ambulances and hospitals.”
How strange that GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups have responsibility for commissioning large contracts, but not for this one.
The news of a 30% rise in Yorkshire Ambulance calls on patients with potentially life-threatening illness or injuries over the holiday is probably a result of this situation.
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