Keep Our NHS Public opposes the Health and Care Bill 2021 which passed its second reading in July. The bill, and the guidance and regulations that come with it, signpost further fragment the NHS, greater privatisation and damage services and the workforce.
The bill will also provide the legal framework required to implement the 40 or so Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) covering England, which pose a threat first and foremost by allowing the private sector an even bigger role than it has currently, a role we believe is far too much already.
The Bill will not address any of the problems the NHS faces and will distract from efforts to rebuild the NHS while it is still dealing with the Covid pandemic.
Our campaign materials are based on in-depth analysis, which consider the implications of the Bill in the light of the Government’s White Paper and more recent guidance on how the Government expects ICSs to work in practice.
Find out how to get involved with our campaign to scrap the Health and Care Bill below.
The Bill's timeline
The Health and Care Bill 2021–22 was introduced to the House of Commons on 6 July 2021. This Bill was debated at second reading on Wednesday 14 July 2021 and has now been sent to a Public Bill Committee which will scrutinise the Bill line by line and is expected to report to the House by Tuesday 2 November 2021.
Oral evidence sessions are expected to be held on Tuesday 7 and Thursday 9 September.
Parliamentary reading
- Bills before Parliament: Health and Care Bill 2021–22
- Read Explanatory Notes: Health and Care Bill 2021–22
- House of Commons Library Briefing Paper
Model motion for trade unions
We are inviting trade union members to present the following motion at their branch, to garner support for opposition to the Bill.
MP briefing on the Bill
Keep Our NHS Public has developed a briefing for MPs about the Bill and why we believe all MPs who want to protect the NHS should oppose it. Share it with your MP and other campaigners:
We're asking all our campaigners and supporters to download the letter for reference and write their own letter to their local MP directly, using as much or as little of the briefing as you wish.
If you're not sure who your MP is, CLICK HERE.
The Health and Care Bill and what it means for the pay, terms and conditions of NHS staff
The new NHS bill has been wrongly spun as a bill to limit privatisation and to promote integration. It does neither of these things but carries significant dangers for the NHS workforce that must be tackled and countered. Read more here
For more information on why the Health and Care Bill is a serious concern to staff and trade unionists see our paper, The Health Bill, privatisation, and workforce issues
More on Integrated Care Systems
More in-depth information about Integrated Care Systems and the Health & Care Bill
Read why Integrated Care Systems, central to the Bill, are a threat to our NHS
The Health and Care Bill will also enable private companies’ access to patients’ health and care data, read our full analysis here.
Sign the petition, protect the NHS
Keep Our NHS Public member and NHS GP Louise Irving has launched a petition to scrap the NHS Health and Care Bill to protect the NHS.
Head over to Change.org to find out why it is so important this Bill is stopped as soon as possible.
Have your say on the Health and Care Bill
The House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider the Health and Care Bill is now inviting written evidence from people with "relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Health and Care Bill", which we at Keep Our NHS Public think is just about everyone!
Click on the button below to go to the 'Have Your Say' page on the Parliament website.
Rally July 14: Second reading of the NHS Health and Care Bill
The day the NHS Health and Care Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons, Keep Our NHS Public held a rally outside the Houses of Parliament to protest the Bill, and make it clear that we won't accept legislation that makes it easier to sell-off and privatise our NHS.
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