Cathy Warwick told
Midwives that all changes which the government wants could be achieved without the bill.
She added that it is hard to believe the bill isn’t just a move towards privatisation.
‘We are close to feeling that the only way forward for the bill is for it to be withdrawn,’ she said.
‘My feeling is quite strong that everything we are
being told the government wants to achieve would be possible without
this bill.
‘So it is hard to believe that the bill is about anything other than ideology and privatisation.’
The comments come as the bill is due to be debated in the House of Lords next month (October).
It is expected that a raft of changes and amendments will be added, before the bill is passed back to
House of Commons.
MPs will then vote on the changes demanded in the Lords.
Paul Burstow, the Liberal Democrat health minister, this week said that the government is still open to change on the bill.
He said the government has ‘not stopped making
changes where we think they are necessary’ and that concerns are still
being listened to.
He added that the House of Lords ‘revises, improves and challenges’ and that is exactly what it should do.
Health unions across the board are continuing to
rally against the bill, with serious concerns bureaucracy, the
fragmentation of care and massive increased costs.
