SIR – There are just ten days of Andrew Lansley’s “listening exercise” left. It’s clear what will happen next. He wants to use the exercise as an excuse to say he’s listened before ploughing on with his reckless NHS changes.
In some districts, doctors, nurses and patient groups are queuing up to say how dangerous the plans are. Has anyone in Bradford been involved in such a meeting? I haven’t, and don’t know anyone who has.
Many meetings have been kept secret until they are over. In Sheffield, the public had a petition to hand in and discovered a meeting had been held hours earlier than they had been given to understand.
The Royal College of GPs have said the plans would “unravel” the NHS, and a national newspaper revealed that one of Lansley’s top advisers told private health companies to expect big profits when the NHS moves to a US-style insurance system.
We all rely on the NHS sooner or later to take care of us and our loved ones. Although petitions have been handed in and many MP’s have been approached, we seem relatively powerless to stop these so-called “reforms”.
Linda Arnold, Beech Street, Bingley
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