A protest is set to take place in South East Cambridgeshire tomorrow (Saturday October 30) asking Lucy Frazer MP to oppose the Government's new health and care bill.
The protests scheduled in over 100 constituencies come as a poll by We Own It shows that 8 in 10 people want the Government to fix waiting lists and ensure that people can see their GPs face-to-face.
The local protest is on the heels of a protest at Westminster on Tuesday (26 October).
The health and care bill, which had its second reading in the House of Commons on July 14, is expected to enter the next stage of its passage on November 9.
It will divide the NHS in England into 42 areas, called Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), each with its own budget and a board to oversee the delivery of health services for the area.
Campaigners and trade unionists say the bill will allow private companies to sit on the boards that will oversee the new ICSs and make decisions about how the budget is spent.
Penny Morris, a local resident, said: “I’m calling on Lucy Frazer to do everything in her power to make sure that the bill protects our vital health services from profit hungry private companies, rather than opening the door even wider to let them in”.
The new poll also shows that 70% of the public say they are worried that the bill would open the NHS to contracts being given out to private companies without scrutiny.
60% say they want the bill to be amended to make NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts the default providers of all NHS services.
Organisers say local action will see people dropping off letters to Lucy Frazer MP's constituency office asking her to oppose the health and care bill.
Johnbosco Nwogbo, campaigns lead for organisers We Own It said: “This bill practically puts corrupt pandemic contracting on steroids in our NHS.
“It’s clear that lots of MPs are really worried about how this bill will change our NHS and open it to being used as a profit-making venture for profit-greedy private companies within it.
“We just hope more of them, including Conservatives, will speak out. People are really worried about this bill, it’s about time MPs catch up to their constituents.”
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