Streatham MP Bell Riberio-Addy has joined marketing campaign teams opposing the takeover of South London GP surgical procedures by a US healthcare giant.
Operose Health, a subsidiary of American firm Centene, acquired London’s largest healthcare supplier AT Medics in October final 12 months.
As a end result they’ve taken over 20 surgical procedures in south London.
But campaigners have criticised the transfer, calling it a “harmful step” in direction of privatisation of the NHS.
Ms Ribeiro-Addy stated: “From PPE shortages to the failure of our privatised Test and Trace system, we’ve seen what occurs when important public companies are sold off to corporations for personal acquire, usually to individuals with shut ties to Government.
“Our surgical procedures are by no means going to be protected within the arms of US healthcare giants like Centene, whose want to make revenue for shareholders will all the time trump the standard of affected person care.
“The sell-off of native surgical procedures is a part of an even bigger programme of stealth privatisation which the Government has been pushing by way of through the pandemic.”
Ms Ribeiro-Addy joined protesters from marketing campaign teams We Own It and Keep Our NHS Public exterior Streatham GPs on April 22.
Dr Brian Fisher, a member of Keep Our NHS Public, stated: “This is a harmful step in direction of extra privatisation and Americanisation of our NHS. It is probably going to lead to fewer GPs and to cash being siphoned from affected person care to US income.
“It could, for the primary time, open up the planning of native NHS companies to the non-public sector. Profits mustn’t ever be allowed to come earlier than affected person care.”
Campaigners worry that the takeover may have destructive results on affected person care and staff’ phrases and situations.
They warn that this might lead to cost-cutting, deskilling of employees and probably a lowered high quality of service.
Across the UK, Centane now owns 58 practices, which cowl 500,000 sufferers.
Campaigns Officer Johnbosco Nwogbo of marketing campaign group We Own It stated: “Centene’s takeover of our GP practices is totally surprising.
“When individuals flip up for an appointment with their GP, they count on to meet an area NHS physician they’ll belief, not an worker of a large American medical insurance firm. They count on their GP to be prioritising their well being wants, not the underside line of a non-public firm.
“The actuality is that at any time when non-public corporations are concerned with our NHS, revenue is prioritised over public well being. You solely have to have a look at Serco’s disastrous dealing with of the take a look at and hint system to know that. So it’s crucial that this takeover – and all prefer it – is stopped in its tracks.
“The public don’t need American well being giants working their GP practices, and so they don’t need our NHS privatised little by little.”
A South East London CCG spokesman stated: “The contract holder stays the identical – AT Medics Ltd – who’ve confirmed they may proceed to run their GP practices as they do now, and sufferers will see the identical medical doctors and nurses. Care will stay free on the level of supply.”
A full listing of surgical procedures now owned by Operose Health could be discovered under:
- Cassidy Medical Centre – 651a Fulham Road, SW6 5PX (Chelsea and Fulham)
- Earls Court Health and Wellbeing Centre – 2b Hogarth Road, London, SW5 0PT (Kensington)
- Edith Cavell Surgery – 41 A-C Streatham Hill, London, SW2 4TP (Streatham)
- Falmouth Road Group Practice – 78 Falmouth Road, Borough, SE1 4JW (Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
- Fieldway Medical Centre – 15a Danebury, CR0 9EU (Croydon Central)
- GP Hub Central Croydon – East Croydon Medical Centre, 59 Addiscombe Road, CR0 6SD (Croydon Central)
- GP Hub Parkway – Parkway Health Centre, Parkway, New Addington, CR0 0JA (Croydon Central)
- GP Hub Purley – Purley War Memorial Hospital, 856 Brighton Road, CR8 2YL (Croydon South)
- Headley Drive Surgery – 117a Headley Drive, CR0 0QL
- Kings Road Medical Centre – 529 Kings Road, SW10 0UD (Chelsea and Fulham)
- Parkway Health Centre – Parkway, CR0 0JA (Croydon Central)
- Queens Road Surgery – 136 Meeting House Lane, SE15 2UA (Camberwell and Peckham)
- Silverlock Medical Centre – 2 Verney Way, London, SE16 3HA (Camberwell and Peckham)
- Streatham High Practice – 1st Floor, 2-8 Gracefield Gardens, SW16 2ST (Streatham)
- Streatham Place Surgery – 26-28 Streatham Place, London, SW2 4QY (Streatham)
- Thamesmead Health Centre – 4-5 Thames Reach, Thamesmead, London (Erith and Thamesmead)
- The Lister Practice – 101 Peckham Road, SE15 5LJ (Camberwell and Peckham)
- The Practice Furzedown – 88e Eardley Rd, London SW16 6BL (Tooting)
- Thornton Road Surgery – 299 Thornton Road, CR0 3EW (Croydon North)
- Valley Park Surgery – Healthy Living Centre, Franklin Way, CR0 4YD (Croydon North)
Pictured prime: Bell Ribeiro-Addy joins protestors exterior Edith Cavill Surgery
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