Tories ‘testing the water’ for NHS charges - Meacher

OLDHAM MP Michael Meacher has accused the Government of kicking the crutches away from the most needy in an attempt to privatise the NHS.

The Tory aim of transforming the NHS into a fully private-charging system before the election has moved forward, the Oldham West and Royton MP claims.

He said: “The Tories have deliberately imposed a £20 billion cut on the NHS and repeatedly say it is unaffordable. Now we have one health trust proposing to charge for different kinds of aids — it is utterly disgusting.”

The NHS South Warwickshire CCG is proposing to charge for 15 different kinds of aids and devices for the disabled, or those recovering from accidents or operations.

Mr Meacher said: “It is claimed that the proposals are driven by financial pressures, which is bad enough. But if you look deeper it is more complex than that. The saving is so tiny it seems obvious that this is in fact testing the water for imposing charges on a far wider scale once the principle has been accepted, if and when the political furore has died down.”

Mr Meacher said the “secretive” plans reveal the ruthlessness of Prime Minister David Cameron.

“At the 2010 election he pledged on huge countrywide hoardings: ‘I’ll cut the budget, not the NHS’,” Mr Meacher said. “In fact he’s done the reverse.”