AT the public meeting on February 8, Kidderminster residents made clear their objection to the merger of the three primary care trusts in Worcestershire into one covering the same boundary as the county council.
Much was made by speakers from the Strategic Health Authority (SHA) of how savings in management costs would be ploughed back in to local health care. Yet is was clear to all who had read the consultation document it would cost money, not save it.
The SHA spokeswoman stated that these were merely structural changes and would not affect services. If there is to be no change in service and no savings, why is the restructuring necessary? The answer came in the news the same day that the government was cancelling local elections in 2007 because it wasn't worth electing people to bodies that might not exist in 2008.
This is all preparation for the introduction of regional government and the abolition of district councils. It will be argued this is the devolvement of power down to the people when, in fact, it is the greatest centralisation of government power in modern times. I also believe it to be a cynical attempt to increase the hold of Labour-dominated cities over the dissident shires.
The consultation documents frequently use the jargon "coterminosity". However, it is always used as meaning sharing boundaries with the county council. District councils hardly get a mention.
I believe the merger of the three Worcestershire PCTs, West Mercia Police with West Midlands Police, of SHA's into one West Midand SHA and the merger of ambulance authorities into once for the whole of the West Midlands is all preparation for the creation of regional government and the abolition of district councils.
We will then be told that it makes sense to have a regional authority that is "coterminous" with SHAs, police authorities etc etc when their reorganisation was really to make the creation of this so-called region seem inevitable. This is not government, this is manipulation!
This is not, of course, considered a valid argument against the merger of the PCTs and ambulance authorities within the consultation process. However, both our MP, Dr Richard Taylor, and the Patient Participation Forum for Wyre Forest have produced powerful arguments against the mergers on the grounds of cost, local representation and quality of service that can be used.
I urge as many Kidderminster residents as possible to write opposing the PCT and ambulance service mergers to: Mr David Nicholson, Commissioning a Patient-led NHS, West Midlands Consultation Office, PO Box 2675, Stafford ST16 9BW. Email: wmconsultation@sasha.nhs.uk
NICKY GRIFFITHS
Farfield
Kidderminster
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