OPPONENTS of the government's NHS reforms have handed a petition to Ealing Central & Acton MP Angie Bray calling the plans "a disaster".
Judy Breens, of Waldemare Avenue, West Ealing, collected more than 300 signatures from residents, doing her bit for the national 38 Degrees campaign. The pressure group which aims to harness people power is named after the angle at which an avalanche happens.
She visited Ms Bray's Conservative Association office in Broughton Road, West Ealing, to hand over the petition along with a copy of the national petition which has reached more than 500,000 signatures.
Mrs Breens said: “I'm totally appalled at what's going on. Basically the reforms will mean the break-up and privatisation of the health service. Before the election David Cameron said there was to be no top-down reorganisation of the NHS, they have no mandate to do this. I don't think any professional medical organisation agrees with what they're proposing and I can't believe we're letting them get away with it.”
Mrs Breen and 12 others from her 26-strong group in Ealing who are working against the plans, handed in the petition last Friday (24). Three then stayed behind to discuss the issue with Ms Bray. The government argue the reforms, which will see management of the service being taken over by GP-led consortiums, are vital to deal with the rising costs of care and the country's ageing population.
But it has agreed to make changes to the reforms following a 'listening exercise' with medics and the public which include making sure there will not be 'competition for its own sake'.
Mrs Bray said she had passed the petition onto health secretary Andrew Lansley and added: “Clearly we're not going to agree on the central points. I firmly believe a large organisation like the NHS is always in need of reform to make sure it keeps up to date with the demands of the 21st century.”
