On 24th April the House of Lords voted through the NHS ‘section 75’ regulations, which open up the NHS to far more private sector competition. The overwhelming opposition from grassroots campaigners and NHS workers fell, ultimately, on deaf ears. So where do we go from here?
Personal budgets have serious implications for the ethos of the NHS which must be considered if health and social care are to be merged - universality and provision based on need are principles we should not be so quick to abandon.
Aside from whether patients welcome the cash payments there are wider issues that need addressing, namely whether the scheme strips cash from the NHS and so weakens the service for others; will it be a subsidy for private care; and who steps in if the money is spent before the year is up?
