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Life-limiting illness

No dialysis nhs England?

5 replies

Pink700 · 23/11/2014 23:26

Kidney disease charities were "stunned" to have been told this week dialysis will no longer be a prescribed service on the English NHS from next year, MPs have heard.
Labour's Madeleine Moon (Bridgend) said officials at the Department of Health revealed the "dangerous" decision in a meeting, and told the groups legislation would be put to MPs in February.
Mrs Moon urged Commons Leader William Hague organise a ministerial statement by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to allow MPs to protest at the plans.
Speaking during the weekly business statement, she said: "At a meeting in the Department of Health this week, kidney charities were stunned to be told that kidney dialysis was no longer to be a prescribed service and a period of consultation of six weeks would be held by the Department of Health.
"And then a Bill would be introduced to Parliament during February and changes to CCG (clinical commission groups) commissioning will commence on April 1.
"Can we have an oral statement from a minister for the Department of Health so they can hear from MPs across the floor in this House what a dangerous decision that would be and how kidney patients will be placed at risk by that decision?"
Mr Hague replied: "I don't think there is any need for a statement because it is health questions within a few days. Next Tuesday (Mr Hunt) and the ministerial team will be here on Tuesday to answer questions so I think there is an early opportunity for you to pursue this issue."

How can this happen? I've tried to look into it more but there is little info on the Internet about it! Will No one get dialysis anymore how many will die? I live in scotland so this won't affect me but it scares me as it could happen to us as well! Surely there is other things that they could cut rather than something so life threatening! My husband has kidney disease not on dailysis but this scares me! What next! Xx

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Phoenixfrights · 24/11/2014 20:53

Isn't this something to do with the way renal services are procured and set up rather than about whether it will still be free to access? I think prescribed service in this context has a specific meaning - it means that NHS England (the centralised body) organises it, rather than local commissioning groups.
Certainly this is what's suggested here

Stand to be corrected.

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JaneAHersey · 25/11/2014 12:48

NHS England (business brand) is no longer an organisation that seeks to provide health care at the point of need. As privatisation pushes further ahead medical care and services will be on the basis on a person's ability to pay.

The government have legislated so that they no longer have a duty of care to provide health/medical care. They only have a weakened duty to provide preventative advice.

Also, eg there has been an increase in associate doctors who are replacing time-served fully qualified doctors. Again, the fully qualified doctor's will be available to those who can pay. The rest of us will have associate doctors. Currently the Trans Atlantic Trade Agreement is being pushed to completion. This will mean that American and foreign health care companies will move in to buy NHS services. This will complete the privatisation process and heaven help those people who cannot afford to pay for health or social care treatments and services.

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Gonewiththewind123 · 23/12/2014 16:41

Sorry - what do you mean by nhs england (business brand)

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meditrina · 23/12/2014 16:55

The new EU transatlantic trade agreement means that firms, regardless of whether EU or US must be allowed to compete on an equal footing. It does not mean that all government services must be opened up to private provision, rather that if they are then nationality of company cannot be used as a criterion.

I think Labour's introduction of private providers to NHS has indeed proved to be the thin end of the wedge.

But I suspect (hope) that what is being proposed for renal services is to do with underlying governance of the provision, not the actual dialysis services themselves.

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PausingFlatly · 23/12/2014 17:15

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TIPP) would mean a bit more than that if it went through.

As we speak, Philip Morris tobacco company is taking the Australian govt to court for passing public health legislation for plain tobacco packaging. It will affect all tobacco firms equally, local or foreign. But Philip Morris are claiming that if it affects them AT ALL, the legislation will be in contravention of a particular international trade agreement.

That's why people are concerned about TIPP affecting health services.

Well, that and the fact that the Coalition government passed legislation to privatise the NHS. Otherwise TIPP wouldn't affect healthcare.

I don't know the specific impact of the change in the designation of kidney dialysis. But typically decentralisation is used, as Jane says, to weaken accountability. (Central govt devolves responsibility to local orgs while cutting funding, then blames said local orgs when all predictably goes pear-shaped.)

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