Campaigners from ‘Keep Our NHS Public’ call on NHS chiefs to rejects cuts or resign

Join the lobby outside Examination Schools from 8.30 am Thursday 10 August!

OXON Keep Our NHS Public calls on the members of the board of the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group meeting tomorrow to refuse to press ahead with plans in the Oxfordshire Transformation Programme Phase 1 that involve cuts in NHS services.

Failing that, Oxon KONP argue that board members should resign.

Oxfordshire Keep Our NHS Public says the permanent closure of beds and the permanent downgrading of the Horton hospital obstetrics-led maternity unit are not acceptable.

Oxon KONP believe that the CCG have breached their obligation to engage with the public by allowing the public only four working days to read, consider and respond to over 300 pages of documentation including the Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) that are key to the decision to proceed with Phase 1, which were only published last Friday.

Mott MacDonald, the consultancy that carried out the IIA, claims that their assessment process ‘encourages informed public debate’.  Given OCCG’s decision to allow the public only four days to analyse the published documents, decisions on which have the potential to severely affect the quality, availability and location of services, four working days is totally inadequate. There are even fewer days available if the members of the public wish to submit written questions to the Board meeting. It is all too apparent that OCCG has failed to comply with one of the four tests that NHSE requires before any major reconfiguration is approved: strong engagement of the public.  (See Oxon KONP’s questions to the CCG, attached.)

Bill MacKeith, secretary of Oxon Keep Our NHS Public, said: ‘By giving members of the public just four days to read over 300 pages of documents and comment before the board is asked to make a decision about cuts profoundly affecting NHS services in the county, the CCG shows little respect for our elected councillors or the public. Given the current funding crisis in health and social care and the severe and enduring workforce shortages, Oxon KONP believes that the OTP Phase 1 is undeliverable. The board should decide not to proceed with Phase 1. Failing that, they should resign. We do not think it is their job to give the go ahead to cuts.’

Contacts: Bill MacKeith, secretary of Oxfordshire Keep Our NHS Public, 01865 558145

Or Joan Stewart 07900 285 099

keepournhspublicoxfordshire.org.uk;   https://www.facebook.com/konpoxon;   @keepNHS_oxon     

Note:  Keep Our NHS Public was formed in 2005 and has a broad-based, public membership. There are 65 local groups, plus a national association. It has the explicit aim of countering marketisation and privatisation of the NHS by campaigning for a publicly funded, publicly provided and publicly accountable NHS, available to all on the basis of clinical need.  It is opposed to cuts in service which run counter to these principles. Further details of national organisation: www.keepournhspublic.com