CHORLEY, PRESTON, SOUTH RIBBLE NHS ICS STARTS OFF WITH "TRULY MASSIVE DEFICIT"
NHS Campaigners have been warning about the disaster that awaits when the new American style Integrated Care System (ICS) is introduced into the NHS in England in 2022.
Contrary to their manifesto, the Conservatives are forcing a top-down reorganisation of the NHS which aims to mimic profit-seeking American health maintenance organisations (HMO) and make it more profitable for NHS contract shareholders known as Integrated Care Providers (partners in an Integrated Care System).
The recent parliamentary approval of the governments 2022 Health & Care Bill means the new ICS system, which splits the NHS in England into 42 areas and changes the method of funding, now has statutory approval to go ahead.
However, many of these 42 areas have been putting the ICS framework in place with other partners (including councils and private healthcare providers) since early 2019 using shadow boards and directors, even to the extent of drawing up their own ICS "constitutions" in anticipation of getting the green light to go ahead to form the ICS. All this was done without scrutiny and without agreement from local council/county authorities.
Lancashire & South Cumbria ICS includes the area of Central Lancashire consisting of Chorley, South Ribble, and Greater Preston.
The shadow ICS Board for Lancashire & South Cumbria (L&SC) has been warning since the end of 2020 of the threat of a truly massive deficit, with the Feb 2021 forecast concluding* :
“all in all the implication of the guidance is that L&SC could be in deficit somewhere within a range of £240m to £340m”.
This is of grave concern for everyone considering the current situation. Starting off with such a massive deficit can only lead to cuts and rationing of health services and treatment, something NHS campaigners in Chorley have been warning about for years.
NHS Campaigners are however just as concerned that private health companies, now partners in the ICS, could step in and provide private investment to make up any shortfall, thus tying the NHS into a private irreversible long-term contract similar to previous Pfi (Private finance initiatives).
This will effectively end the NHS as a universal, comprehensive, public service freely available for everyone and convert it into the profit seeking American health system which the Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already stated he prefers.
*source (PDF) Integrated Care System (ICS) Board Agenda 3 February 2021: https://www.healthierlsc.co.uk/application/files/3816/1192/9693/Formal_ICS_Board_-_One_Pack_Papers_-_3_February_2021.pdf
