Privatisation Of The National Health Service

EDM number 636 in 1993-94, proposed by Ian McCartney on 17/02/1994.

That this House endorses the concerns expressed by 27 consultants at the Lister Hospital that the North Hertfordshire National Health Service Trust Board has decided, subject to contract, to enter into an arrangement with a Swiss-based company, UNI Clinical Laboratories (UCL) now called United Laboratories Ltd. (ULL) for provision of pathology services contrary to the view from an overwhelming majority of consultants of the North Hertfordshire Consultant and Specialist Committee, who were not convinced that offering the tender to UCL would result in financial benefits and improvements in the pathology service, and who called on the trust board to rescind their decision to proceed with further discussion with the company, and contrary to the advice of the four independent pathologists, nominated by the Royal College of Pathologists, who were acting as external assessors and who regarded the bid from UCL as incompatible with the maintenance of a high standard of services; and criticises the trust board's decision to proceed with the bid. (Relevant registered interest declared).

This motion has been signed by a total of 155 MPs, 2 of these signatures have been withdrawn.