Although the government is committed to making amendments to the NHS Bill, the British Medical Association (BMA) reject the idea that changes to the health and social care bill will reduce the risk of privatisation of the health service.

In the latest attack on the government’s NHS reforms, doctors voted to launch a public campaign against the health bill. The BMA council voted to pass a series of motions critical of the government’s bill – and crucially accepted that doctors “start a public campaign to call for the withdrawal of the health and social care bill”.

The motion put forward by NHS consultants Clive Peedell and Jack Davis will continue to put pressure on the government during parliament’s summer break. 

The BMA voted to “reject the idea that the government’s proposed changes to the bill will significantly reduce the risk if further marketisation and privatisation of the NHS and agreed that the government is misleading the public by repeatedly stating that there will be no privatisation of the NHS”.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of council at the BMA, said, “Whilst the BMA recognises there have been some changes following the listening pause, there is widespread feeling that the proposed legislation is hopelessly complex, and it really would be better if the bill were withdrawn”.

Dr Peedell, a colleague on the council, said, “That the health bill was just a privatisation bill with a third of it devoted to producing an economic regulated market”.

Despite the government’s attempt to appease both professional and public anger over the NHS reform bill - with the legislative pause, this has so far had little effect. Internet campaigners 38 Degrees, which has 850,000 members in the UK, claim they have raised enough money through their online marketing campaign to employ lawyers to go over the 180 amendments produced by the government when it re-submitted the bill for its second reading earlier in July.

David Babbs, the organisations executive director, said, “38 Degrees members want to cut through the tangled web of amendments which make up Andrew Lansley’s re-written NHS plans. So we’re chipping in to hire legal experts to go through the bill with a fine tooth comb”.

“We’re concerned that real threats to our NHS may still lurk behind Lansley and David Cameron’s warm words. We are on a slippery slope to the NHS being broken up by EU competition laws. Why does Lansley seem to be watering down his legal duty to provide a national health service?”

Labour’s John Healey, said, “Despite David Cameron’s promises, his health bill changes are a bureaucratic mess, not a proper plan for improving patient care. Now people are realising that despite the ‘pause’, the wasteful and unnecessary reorganisation is going ahead and the long-term Tory plans to break up the NHS remain intact”.

The Department of Health said, “We will never privatise the NHS. The BMA’s position is disappointing because previously the doctors’ union said there was much in our response to the listening exercise that addressed their concerns, and that many of the principles outlined reflected changes they had called for”.

“The independent NHS Future Forum confirmed there is widespread support for the principles of our plans to modernise the NHS, including handling more control to doctors, nurses and frontline professionals”.

“Patients will never have to pay for NHS care. The bill has changed substantially since the BMA first voted to oppose government policy. Our plans have been greatly strengthened in order to improve care for patients and safeguard the future of the NHS”.

As the government continues with its NHS Reform Bill, those within the profession feel the government really isn’t listening to their concerns. With increasing financial pressures being put on the NHS to save money, the opening up of the NHS to privatisation, critics would argue that this would have an effect on patient care with profits coming first. 

Furthermore, as NHS Trusts across the UK implement ways to reduce their spending by cutting back on services, it is those in the frontline that have to deal with these problems such as doctors, GPs and GP Locums. 

However, the independent Future Forum has confirmed that the amendments proposed by Andrew Lansley will give more control to doctors and nurses. 

Despite the changes that are taking place within the NHS, those within the profession continue to provide first class patient care and at MPP Locums we work within the healthcare profession supplying professional health care and locum staff across the UK to NHS Trusts and Private Healthcare providers. 

As one of the fastest growing and largest specialist recruitment agencies in the UK, MPP Locums has over 10 years of experience within the industry. 

MPP Locums is an approved supplier of locum doctor jobs, doctor jobs to the NHS under the National Locum contract starting 1st July for the next three years. MPP Locums is regulated by the care Quality Commission and The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA).

Contact our registration team today if you want to be part of our growing medical specialist team. 

MPs and peers call for the number of beds in NHS hospitals in the UK to be cut by 10% to improve dementia care.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia said, “This would free £1bn that would be better spent on improving community-based services.”

In the report, the committee says, “failure to act will result in an unqualified crisis.”

However, in contrast to the committee’s report, some experts warn that the savings will be difficult to achieve with health and social care budgets coming under extreme pressure.

Furthermore, NHS Trust across the UK are already coming under pressure to save money by reducing services, cutting back on doctor, GP and GP Locum jobs when staff leave. With financial cuts already affecting many hospitals across the UK, any additional savings would be harder to achieve.

The APPG report highlights that the annual cost of dementia in the UK has now reached £20bn, but says, “There is ample opportunity to spend money more effectively.”

The report also criticises the NHS for failing to place a priority on dementia services. It calls for “better co-ordination across the system, including carers, GPs, care homes, hospitals and social care.”

One of their key concerns is that people suffering dementia do not get the care and support they need until they have reached a crisis point. It says, “The care they then require is hugely expensive – much of it unnecessary and completely avoidable.”

To improve dementia care, the report recommends changes to reduce inappropriate hospital admissions of people with dementia and to shorten their stay.

Taking data and findings from the Alzheimer’s Society and the Department of Health, the APPG says, “Up to a quarter of hospital beds in England are estimated to be occupied by people with dementia aged over 65 years at any one time.”

“This means more than 26,000 people with dementia are in hospital at any one time, at an annual cost of more than £2bn.”

Furthermore, the APPG argues moving treatment could reduce this and care out of hospitals into community based services, and suggests that reducing acute and geriatric beds by at least 10% would release £1bn.

The group says, “The money would be better spent on specialist support for GP practices to help diagnose dementia.” It also recommends strengthening community support to avoid emergency admissions and providing day and night respite care.

The chair of the APPG on Dementia, Baroness Sally Greengross, said, “The plan could deliver immediate savings.”

“Money is consistently being thrown away on poor quality services and inappropriate care for people with dementia.”

“The Dilnot Commission last week put caring for older people firmly in the spotlight, but its recommendations are not yet a reality.”

“Our report shows there are many ways to save money and improve care now.”

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said, “We can’t keep using the chicken and egg excuse that it’s not possible to cut beds, and release funds, until community services are in place.”

“The reality is, money is not being spent in the best way and NHS bosses must find a way to change this.”

But Professor John Appleby, chief economist at health research group the King’s Fund, warned, “That this was easier said than done.”

“It can be difficult to free up resources in one part of the system to be spent in another. In theory, treating people in the community setting should reduce bed use in hospitals, with the savings being used on community services. In practice it can be very difficult to realise such savings.”

The chief executive of the NHS Confederation, Mike Farrar, said, “The report raised a difficult issue for politicians.”

“Shaping dementia services to suit the needs of local people will require some frank and honest discussions about the need to close some services and move others out of hospital if we are to provide the best care in the future.”

Care services minister for England, Paul Burstow, said, “Dementia was a priority for the government. Earlier diagnosis is key as it allows people to plan for their future, preventing the need for crisis intervention and premature admissions to acute hospital care.”

“This delivers better outcomes for people with dementia as well as significant cost-savings.”

With an ageing population, the number of people likely to suffer from dementia is set to increase. With more people suffering from dementia the government needs to look at how dementia care can be improved.

More money needs to be spent on providing the right care for patients. One way this could be achieved is by introducing more community based care by reducing the number of hospital beds by 10%, which would free up around £1bn.

Furthermore, with more care in the community, the role of GPs and GP Locums is likely to increase as they treat and care for more patients suffering from dementia. With rising demands for GPs and GP Locums to care for dementia patients in the UK, MPP Locums is able to provide first class medical personnel across the UK.

As one of the fastest growing and largest specialist recruitment agencies in the UK, MPP Locums has over 10 years of experience working within the healthcare profession supplying professional health care and locum staff across the UK to NHS Trusts and Private Healthcare providers.

MPP Locums is an approved supplier of locum doctor jobs, doctor jobs to the NHS under the National Locum contract starting 1st July for the next three years. MPP Locums is regulated by the care Quality Commission and The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA).

Contact our registration team today if you want to be part of our growing medical specialist team.

In a recent announcement by the medical director of the NHS, the use of new technology could see patients consulting with their doctor over the internet within a year rather than a decade.  

Sir Bruce Keogh, said, “That using emerging video internet technology he could envisage an NHS that was available 24-7.”

“High-speed broadband – essential to internet video calling – could allow people to consult international experts or take advantage of out-of-hours care provided by overseas doctors in another time zone.”


“Such technology would lessen the need for a ‘geographical connection’ between GPs and their patients, while it would also enable doctors to conduct what he called “virtual ward rounds.”

Speaking at the Government’s launch of its plans to make all state data available online, Sir Bruce Keogh called for his colleagues to make their success rates public. 

He said, “The NHS had to adapt because young people won’t put up with having to travel to a doctor and wait 20 minutes when they can just use the web to talk directly to a doctor.”

“The younger generation just don’t accept the offer as it is now.”

The use of video technology – “telehealth,” could see patients accessing this service for a wide range of medical problems such as chronic diabetes and those with visible conditions like skin complaints.

Some GPs are already piloting “telehealth” however limitations to good broadband infrastructure such as in rural areas is holding back the progress where it could really benefit patients, especially those who aren’t able to make it into GP surgeries easily. 

Sir Bruce acknowledged that the NHS had yet to lay out a “national vision” for digital access, but he said, “That it would happen in the future.”

“As well as being better for patients, he argued that in the long term it would be cheaper and more efficient for the NHS.”

He said, “In Northern Ireland a group of neurologists had found using new technology was cheaper and the patients like it more.”

However, he also acknowledged that his plans would “open up a whole heap of financial issues.”

The use of video technology through high speed broadband is already being used to monitor old people in their homes with remote supervision.

With new technologies becoming available, will open up how GP surgeries can operate offering more out of hours care and diagnosis. With more GP surgeries offering out of hour care, 24/7 access, the need for more GP and GP Locums to meet demands is likely to rise with more GP and GP Locum jobs becoming available. 

With “telehealth” technologies becoming more possible, is just one of the reasons why the Government is investing £530 million on improving broadband in the UK by 2015.

Frances Maude, Cabinet Office Minister, said, “That plans to release data about all NHS performance, including GPs as well as surgery, would allow patients to be more selective about their treatment.”

As the role of GP surgeries adapt and change to meet patients needs – the use of new technologies will open up patients access to seeing their GP, especially for those living in rural areas, younger more internet savvy patients and those who working lives do not fit in with current GP surgery hours. 

With more GP surgeries being able to offer a 24/7 service in the near future will create the demand for more GP and GP Locum jobs as well as offering more flexibility to GP and GP Locums on how and when they want to work. 

As the NHS embraces new technologies through video consultations, MPP Locums understands the need to provide first class medical personnel to meet a changing modernising NHS. 

MPP Locums is an approved supplier of locum doctor jobs, doctor jobs to the NHS under the National Locum contract starting 1st July for the next three years. MPP Locums is regulated by the care Quality Commission and The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA).

As one of the fastest growing and largest specialist recruitment agencies in the UK, MPP Locums has over 10 years of experience working within the healthcare profession supplying professional health care and locum staff across the UK to NHS Trusts and Private Healthcare providers. 

Contact our registration team today if you want to be part of our growing medical specialist team.

Under current EU laws, British patients are being put at risk as freedom of movement is put above the safety of patients, warn leading clinicians.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) council, said, “That European employment law and other countries’ refusal to share information from their medical registers meant British medical regulators were sometimes powerless to guarantee foreign doctors’ capability.”

Because of this we could see situations occurring where a doctor who is banned from practising in one country could be registered in Britain without the General Medical Council (GMC) being aware of their ban due to incompetence or malpractice.

Under current EU laws the GMC can not test European-qualified doctors’ clinical capability or language skills, where as they can for doctors from outside the EU.

With the current EU laws concerning the free movement of labour between member countries, as well as the current situation of skills tests not being applicable for EU qualified doctors could see more EU qualified doctors applying for doctor jobs, GP locum doctor jobs in Britain if they are banned from practicing in their home country.

At a BMA meeting in Cardiff, Dr Meldrum said, “If a doctor was struck off and the GMC knew about it then the likelihood of them being able to practice is probably quite low, but the problem is whether the GMC always knows about it and also the reasons as to why it happened.”

“We are aware of several cases where doctors have been removed from the medical register in this country because of fitness to practice problems, but are still practicing elsewhere in the EU. I am afraid EU law seems to put freedom of movement rather higher than protection of patients.”

The concerns of Dr Meldrum are only too clear with the case of Daniel Ubani, a German-qualified cosmetic surgeon working in Cambridgeshire who accidentally killed David Gray, a 70-year-old patient with an overdose of painkillers.

Because of EU laws, the GMC where unable to verify whether or not Daniel Ubani had ever worked in Germany as a GP, because his license gave him automatic entitlement to work in the UK.

Dr Meldrum added: “We saw with the Ubani case how he was found guilty in the UK and yet he is still practicing in Germany and that doesn’t seem to be satisfactory.”


Dr John Fitton, a GP from Kettering, Northamptonshire, said, “It should be unacceptable that a doctor who is found to be incompetent or untrustworthy in one jurisdiction of the country might be equally be able to find employers in another.”

So far, the European Commission has launched a green paper consulting member nations on the prospect of an international alert system when a doctor is found unfit to practice.

Niall Dickson, GMC Chief Executive, said, “This is about patient safety. When we take action against a doctor we actively tell other regulators.”

“We want other regulators across Europe to do the same and have urged the European Commission to put a duty on them to do this. We believe all regulators must share this vital information in order to keep patients safe.”

Under the current system, EU qualified doctors from members states of the EU are able to work in the UK regardless of their clinical and language skills. With a government determined to improve the efficiency of the NHS, as well as improve patient care and treatment, this is one area that could lead to future problems.

Furthermore, as financial cutbacks affect NHS Hospitals across the UK, standards in patient care must remain a priority by recruiting doctors, GPs and GP Locums who have all the necessary skills and competencies to deliver a high standard of patient care the government is committed to delivering.

As hospitals across the UK have to work within current EU legislation, MPP Locums understands the need and importance of providing first class medical professionals.

MPP Locums is an approved supplier of locum doctor jobs, doctor jobs to the NHS under the National Locum contract starting 1st July for the next three and we are regulated by the care Quality Commission and The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA).

With over 10 years of experience working within the healthcare profession, MPP Locums supplies professional health care and locum staff across the UK to NHS Trusts and Private Healthcare providers.

MPP Locums is one of the largest and fastest growing specialist recruitment agencies in the UK.

Contact our registration team today if you want to be part of our growing medical specialist team.