As various election campaigns get into full swing across the country with only weeks left until polling day on May 6th, Freedom Healthnet continues its special look at the party’s proposals for healthcare provisions. The NHS is a long standing and vital issue for the vying politicians and their plans for its future not only have an effect upon the state of free healthcare itself, but also for the private sector. Today, we look at the Conservative party’s manifesto and the impacts it could have if they win the general election.
GP opening hours is a continuing issue, despite the reform brought about in 2004 and it has not escaped the Conservatives plans for the NHS. Similarly to Labour, they promise access to GP care twelve hours a day, seven days a week for every person in the UK. But Cameron’s plans say that GPs themselves would be responsible for deciding how the services will be provided which means that contracts will have to be negotiated again. Six years ago, GPs opted out of out of hours care in favour of a pay cut and meant that doctors were brought in to cover the service. The Chairman of BMA Council, Dr Hamish Meldrum told the BBC: "The idea of being able to see a GP from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week is bound to be popular, and patients deserve good access to GP services, but this shouldn't come at the expense of the quality of a patient's overall care, which is at risk if services become fragmented.” If the level of care does drop, people could be tempted to get a
quote for private medical insurance.Other healthcare proposals from the Tories include ruling out the planned closure of some Accident and Emergency and maternity departments in certain hospitals. While this seems to be a popular policy, critics have said that some of these closures are needed and without them patient safety and quality of their healthcare could be at risk.
Private health insurance could then become a more attractive option for increasing numbers of people if they wish to gain affordable access to private hospitals where some of the highest quality healthcare in the UK is on offer.
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