ARC 2012: Call to scrap 'fatally flawed' health bill

9 February 2012

The government’s proposed Health and Social Care Bill will have a negative impact on patient care, and the lack of any 'meaningful' changes to the Bill has lead the CSP to come out in 'outright' opposition, ARC delegates have been told.

Click to play: CSP chief executive Phil Gray explains the opposition to the bill. Video: Kiran Acharya

Alex MacKenzie from the national group of regional stewards told the conference that the government had to 'take note' of widespread concerns and 'scrap the Bill'.

Council member Catherine Pope agreed. She said that it was clear that the proposed legislation was 'fatally flawed'.

Risk register

Meanwhile, delegates supported a motion to call on the government to respond to numerous requests made under the Freedom of Information Act and publish the risk register which shows the risk that would be incurred to the public if and when the Bill comes into force.

Sarah Williams from the national group of regional stewards questioned why the government thought that the Act did not apply to them.

Eastern region steward Mike Cooper said: “A cynical person might say that we are being kept in the dark…but how can Parliament and the House of Lords vote on this Bill when they have not got the facts?”