BMA moves to full opposition on healthcare reforms

The BMA has changed its official policy to one of full opposition to the Health and Social Care Bill and its proposed reforms of the NHS. The change of stance was agreed at a BMA council meeting on 24 November.

At the meeting, a motion—that the BMA council publicly announce its opposition to the whole health bill and that there be “rapid” organisation of a public campaign of opposition to the bill—was narrowly passed after much discussion.

The BMA also issued a briefing paper on 7 December outlining its new stance. In its paper it said that, despite several successful amendments to the bill, major areas of concerns had still not been dealt with sufficiently, such as a continuing over-reliance on market forces to shape care and concerns about the future delivery of public health and medical education. …