Green Party

The Green Party is today highlighting the contradiction between Charles Clarke’s correspondence with his constituents on the NHS and his proposals in a recent report for more patient charging in the health service. 

Clarke, Labour MP for Norwich South, has promoted (in a widely-covered report for accountancy firm KPMG) the introduction of charges on NHS services such as osteopathy, chiropody, regular check-ups, GP visits out of hours and extra hospital services.

Clarke’s proposals from July have recently been followed by the delivery to his constituents of a letter celebrating 60 years of the NHS, stating ‘it is a service we can all celebrate and which is in principle available to all based on need – not ability to pay’. An enclosed survey to assess his constituents’ views encourages them to ‘agree’ with Clarke that ‘the NHS is something we should be proud of as a nation and it’s right that the Government should keep the NHS as available to all based on need – not ability to pay.’ The letter fails to indicate that in reality Clarke would support the implementation of charges on many NHS services.

Adrian Ramsay, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Norwich South and prospective Deputy Leader of the Green Party, has challenged Charles Clarke’s proposals. Adrian has said that the implementation of  ‘user charges’ would lead to a “two-tier system in which many health-enhancing treatments would be less accessible to those on low incomes, and choice would be available only for those who can afford to pay”.

Adrian commented: “Charles Clarke is misleading Norwich residents by pretending to support the fundamental principles of the NHS whilst proposing new patient charges for important services. Clarke’s proposals would be another step away from the ethos of the NHS, which has always been based on providing healthcare free to all at the point of need, funded through taxation.

“The Green Party believes that the implementation of user-charges sidesteps the need to invest more directly in the provision of NHS services, rather than wasting public money on supporting private healthcare and the ‘Private Finance Initiative’. Money could also be saved by promoting the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and by reallocating expenditure from expensive and unnecessary government projects such as identity cards. By contrast, charging individual users does not promote health or fairness in our society.”

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