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NHS changes: PM to host talks on implementing plans NHS changes: PM to host talks on implementing plans
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The prime minister is to convene a meeting of healthcare professionals later to discuss the government's highly contentious changes to the NHS. The prime minister will meet healthcare professionals in Downing Street later to push the case for the government's highly contentious changes to the NHS.
Opponents of the bill including the British Medical Association and Royal College of Nursing (RCN) complain they have been excluded from the event. But opponents of the bill, including the British Medical Association and Royal College of Nursing, complain they have been excluded from the event.
Labour accused David Cameron of closing the door of No 10 to its critics.Labour accused David Cameron of closing the door of No 10 to its critics.
Health minister Simon Burns said Monday's event was to meet groups who were "constructively engaged". However, the government said the event was a chance to meet groups who were already "constructively engaged".
But Dr Peter Carter, from the RCN, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was committed to working with the government, but said it had "huge reservations" about the bill. Proposals in the Health and Social Care Bill include giving GPs control of much of the NHS budget and opening up the health service to greater competition from the private and voluntary sector.
"We really don't think it's a sensible way forward to think that you can have a meeting which has been called an emergency summit to take things forward without involving many of the key organisations that are intrinsic to making sure the NHS is successful," he said. These have proved controversial. On Friday, members of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health joined several Royal Medical Colleges, including the Royal College of GPs, in calling for the bill to be scrapped.
'Not self-interest' 'Not sensible'
He refuted the suggestion that the RCN was motivated by self-interest. Unions and professional bodies, including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Royal College of Midwives, are also among those who also want it to be withdrawn.
Mr Burns responded by saying the RCN had been consulted and Dr Carter himself had spoken to Mr Cameron on the phone last month. Peter Carter, from the RCN, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme his organisation was committed to working with the government, but said it had "huge reservations" about the bill.
"On this occasion we are meeting those organisations who are constructively engaged in implementing the modernisation," the minister said. He said: "We really don't think it's a sensible way forward to think that you can have a meeting which has been called an emergency summit to take things forward without involving many of the key organisations that are intrinsic to making sure the NHS is successful."
He ruled out dropping any part of the bill and said: "The NHS has got to evolve to meet its challenges and the whole bill is a package that interacts with each other within that legislation to move forward that process." Health minister Simon Burns responded by saying the RCN had been consulted and Dr Carter himself had spoken to Mr Cameron on the telephone last month.
The Health and Social Care Bill proposals include giving GPs control of much of the NHS budget and opening up the health service to greater competition from the private and voluntary sector. "On this occasion we are meeting those organisations who are constructively engaged in implementing the modernisation," he said.
Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham criticised the prime minister for discussions about the implementation of plans not yet on the statute book. He ruled out dropping any part of the bill and added: "The NHS has got to evolve to meet its challenges and the whole bill is a package that interacts with each other within that legislation to move forward that process."
Labour opposes the bill and shadow health secretary Andy Burnham criticised the prime minister for holding discussions about the implementation of plans not yet on the statute book.
"It may sound like a small point to David Cameron but I wish to remind him that he doesn't yet have Parliament's permission to implement reforms nobody wants and for which no-one voted," Mr Burnham said."It may sound like a small point to David Cameron but I wish to remind him that he doesn't yet have Parliament's permission to implement reforms nobody wants and for which no-one voted," Mr Burnham said.
"This has all the hallmarks of an event thrown together in a last-ditch desperate bid to shore up collapsing support for the bill. "This has all the hallmarks of an event thrown together in a last-ditch, desperate bid to shore up collapsing support for the bill.
"It would appear to be so last-minute that a number of important organisations have been left off the invite list, or maybe it's because the PM wouldn't like what they've got to say.""It would appear to be so last-minute that a number of important organisations have been left off the invite list, or maybe it's because the PM wouldn't like what they've got to say."
'Constructive talks' 'Won't shut up'
On Friday, members of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health joined several Royal Medical Colleges, including the Royal College of GPs, in calling for the bill to be scrapped. In a statement on the meeting, the British Medical Association said: "It would seem odd if the major bodies representing health professionals were not included."
Unions, including the British Medical Association (BMA), the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives are among those who also want it to be withdrawn. Sarah Gorton, the senior national officer for health at the public sector union Unison, said: "Health workers should have their voices heard when major changes to the health service are being discussed.
In a statement about Monday's meeting, the BMA said: "It would seem odd if the major bodies representing health professionals were not included." "Clearly, Unison has not been invited because David Cameron and Andrew Lansley do not want to hear what we've got to say. But they need to face up to the truth that the bill is damaging for patients and for the NHS. Excluding our voices will not shut us up."
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said: "The government are confident the health bill - albeit in a much amended form - will survive its passage through Parliament; but it will be a trickier procedure to put it into practice." At the meeting the prime minister will point to evidence that emergency hospital admissions have fallen year-on-year for the first time.
The description of the meeting as "constructive talks" was "not very encrypted code for saying there's little point holding discussions on how to implement changes with groups, such as the BMA, which are already implacably opposed to them". Department of Health figures show a 0.5% decline in 2011, compared with a 36% increase between 2001 and 2010.
But our correspondent added: "Even amongst some of those who in principle support the reforms, there are worries." He will stress that, at the same time, GPs have taken a more central role in shaping care for patients and the NHS has moved away from Labour's "targets" culture to the coalition's emphasis on "outcomes".
He said the NHS Confederation would be attending the talks and would warn the prime minister he could face "severe difficulties in bringing about a complex reorganisation of the NHS unless he has the support of more health service staff".