Wake up and smell the Coffey

The privatisation and destruction of the NHS continues apace, the government has one intention, to open the market up to big profiteering multinational corporations, and it is patients that will be bent over and shafted in the process.

The stupid and cynical one size fits all reform threatens to result in the closure of numerous excellent local GP practices up and down the land. These new plans will result in the needless waste of millions in paying for shiny new polyclinics, when the money could be far better spent supporting the primary care services that are already in place.

In fact the medical evidence is overwhelming that the loss of continuity for patients will be quite harmful to their health. While the increased centralisation will result in longer trips and yet more inconvenience for the elderly and disabled, stretching an already overloaded transport system even further.

One GP seems strangely keen on these reforms, and has backed all New Labour's destructive reforms over the years, he speaks today in the Independent and mentions no conflict of interest. His name is Tom Coffey and he has very strong links with the Labour party, strange he didn't mention that in the Independent, some would call this unethical, cynical even, I can think of other adjectives.

It seems that this is not the first time that the delightful Dr Coffey has backed his party's noble reforms that he claims will help the poor, I am sure they'll be just as helpful just as cutting the 10% tax bracket has been. Labour seem to be rather keen to shaft the poor these days, they are now a rather corrupt party that is funded by big business, whose interests they represent ahead of the poor and deprived.

This dangerous agenda backed up by the sham Darzi consultation is a disgrace, it is only about the overly equitable access to the health care market by private corporations, it is nothing to do with improving access for patients. In December 2007 the Department of Health ordered PCTs around the country to start making plans for these new private clinics, their minds were made up long before the consultation process ever started as Freedom of Information requests have revealed.

In typical fashion the consultation process is stage managed and none of the important details are ever revealed until it is far too late. Is it time to withdraw from the consultation process, as otherwise the government will use our lack of withdrawal to represent our consent to this malignant program of wanton destruction a la MMC?