The NHS services that we all depend on in Cambridgeshire are in danger of privatisation on a massive scale.

As a result of the Health and Social Care Act, which was pushed through Parliament against overwhelming opposition from doctors and nurses, Clinical Commissioning Groups are forced to put all but a small number of their services out to commercial tender. This enables profit-hungry companies such as Serco, G4S and Capita, with appalling track-records of public sector work, to ‘bid’ against the NHS for contracts to provide healthcare services across England.

As a result of these Liberal Democrat-sponsored changes, which bring competition law into the NHS, Cambridgeshire Clinical Commissioning Group is currently accepting ‘bids’ for the £1bn contract for part of Cambridgeshire Community Services. This body provides health visitors, midwives, community psychiatric nurses, school nurses and hospital-based paediatrics across Cambridgeshire.

The £1bn contract for these vital services is the biggest contract in England to be in danger of privatisation so far. Many in our community are appalled at the possibility these services could soon be provided by profit-making companies, rather than the NHS and worry about the fragmentation of our local health service that will ensue.

We at Newnham Labour believe we should be standing up and fighting on behalf of our local community to keep these services in the hands of the NHS. That’s why we’ve spent the last month collecting signatures for a petition which urges the Clinical Commissioning Group to keep these services within the NHS.

You can stand up for local NHS services by signing our petition below: