Government overcome foundation hospital rebellion
The Government has easily overcome a smaller than expected backbench rebellion on the issue of foundation hospitals.
Just 65 Labour MPs chose to vote against the Government although over 130 had previously voted on an early day motion on the issue against the Government.
The vote still represents the largest rebellion againt this Government on home affairs since it came to power.
The leading opponent of foundation hospitals, David Hinchliffe, who is also the Chairman of the Health Select Committee insisted the problems ‘would not go away.’
Under the Government’s proposals, top-performing hospitals would become eligible for greater independence from central control.
Despite its heavy majority in the Commons, the Labour leadership faced opposition from opposition parties and a potentially significant group of Labour backbenchers.
Opening the debate, Health Secretary Alan Milburn insisted that the National Health Service must face up to the challenges of the twenty first century and the ever growing pressure for improved health services.
And addressing the Commons earlier today, Prime Minister Tony Blair stressed that the policy represented an important plank of decentralising public services and increasing local accountability.
Yesterday Mr Blair sent out an unequivocal warning to Labour backbench rebels that tampering with Government-backed plans to radicalise the NHS would be a ‘mistake of historic proportions.’
Mr Blair said: ‘For the Labour Party, this is of absolutely crucial importance to our success as a government and a party. For those who believe in public services, reform is fundamental to their future. To turn our backs on it, would be a collective mistake of historic proportions.’
And in a bid to win over wavers, the Health Secretary Alan Milburn announced yesterday that £200m would be made available to assist all NHS hospitals to gain foundation status.
Up to now, around 30 hospitals have expressed an interest in adopting foundation status.
Mr. Blair’s preemptive intervention came as the influential Commons health select committee warned that the rolling out of foundation hospitals would plunge the NHS into a ‘downward spiral of poor performance.’
David Hinchcliffe was decidedly sombre in his remarks on the prospects for improved health delivery if foundation hospitals became the norm:
‘As money follows patients, poorer-performing hospitals will see their revenue streams dry up and will have even less to invest in improving services, locking them into a downward spiral of poor performance’.
For its part, the Conservative Party warned the Government that it could not rely on its support for the proposals, accusing the foundation hospital scheme of not being radical enough.
Shadow Health Secretary Dr Liam Fox maintained that the plans would create a ‘dog eat dog’ culture in the health service, leading to diminished funding for some hospitals.
The Liberal Democrats had similarly expressed deep concern that the policy would encourage two-tierism within the NHS, a charge strongly dismissed by the Government.
It points out that wide disparities in performance already exist within the NHS, and insists that greater independence for hospitals will serve to drive up standards across the board.
