We Own It poll finds 7/10 worried about more NHS privatisation

4 November 2021

As the Health and Care Bill, dubbed the Corporate Takeover Bill, is set to be taken to a vote in the House of Commons on the 23rd of November, MPs are facing growing public concern about the threats posed to the NHS. Without amendment, the bill will allow private companies to sit on bodies that decide how NHS money is spent, while contracts will be handed out to companies without accountability or transparency. 

A new We Own It poll, conducted by Survation, has found that: 

  • 7 out of 10 of us are concerned that the Bill will mean NHS contracts being handed out to private companies without adequate scrutiny. This includes 70% of Conservative voters and 82% of Labour voters. 
  • 60% of us believe the legislation needs to be explicitly amended to make sure the NHS is the default provider. Currently, the government is scrapping requirements for competition while still allowing private companies to win NHS work. 
  • 51% think the government’s top priority should be dealing with NHS waiting lists and 29% think it should be making sure people can see their GP face to face, only 21% say the government’s priority should be to reorganise the NHS with new legislation.

Read the polling in detail here.

We Own It Director, Cat Hobbs, said: “This new polling shows the public, including the majority of Conservative voters, is rightly very concerned about the likes of Richard Branson getting contracts in our NHS by the back door. The NHS needs proper funding and it needs to be reinstated as a fully public service. Instead the government is undermining it by opening it up further to corporate interests. We’re calling on all MPs to take a stand now for our NHS and stop this Bill from damaging our health service.”

 

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Comments

Anonymous replied on Permalink

The NHS belongs to the people of Great Britain as we ALL PAY into our NHS with IUR National Insurance Contributions and because of this WE the people SHOULD HAVE a say about what happens to OUR NHS and MY pwrsonal preference is to TAKE BACK every bit of our NHS which has been privatised and NEVER EVER be in private hands. The MPs who has connections with the private companies cannot have a vote or lobby to privatise our NHS. It is NOT FOR SALE

Vanessa and Fra... replied on Permalink

I believe that ALL of the parts of OUR NHS should be brought back into the public sector and NOT to selk off any parts of our NHS as WE the people HAVE ALL paid into OUR NHS through our NATIONAL Insurance Contributions. Therefore WE SHOULD ALL have a say about what happens to OUR NHS and MY personal preference is to TAKE BACK every bit of the NHS from the private companies and NEVER EVER sell off any part of OUR NHS

Michael Woog replied on Permalink

The NHS is a free on delivery service pre-paid by our taxation. It is currently over managed by bureaucrats who are heading toward rationing and under provision of services, at the cost of their patients's health and perhaps when addng the woeful inadequacy of social care, perhaps also contributing to early deaths. if the NHS were organised to provide more efficiently and with direct medical and social care supervision and prioritisation ... It could provide all services more efficiently and cost effectively. Commercial provision will inevitably result in rationed services and underpayment for staff, as private companies will inevtably seek profit at the expense of patients an staff.

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