The MK Labour Party say that a Government review must give guarantees on the future of MK's hospital, GPs and social care services.
The government's proposed new Sustainable Transformation Programme means that there will be 44 new NHS areas across the UK known as STPs. The aim of the new plans is to save up to £20bn whilst continuing to meet growing demand for services.
However, opposition campaigners say it could be used as a way of closing the A&E unit in Milton Keynes and patients having to travel further to recieve care.
Milton Keynes is proposed to become part of an STP covering Milton Keynes, Luton, Central Bedfordshire and Bedford. This would incorporate three existing clinical commissioning groups and three hospitals into a single STP.
Cllr Peter Marland, Leader of Milton Keynes Council (Labour) said “The review is the third one looking at closing A&Es, shipping services out of Milton Keynes and looking at the downgrading of Maternity units. The previous reviews have cost millions. The real winners appear to be high paid private consultancy companies, not the patients who face underfunded hospitals and care services. The STP is also consuming huge amounts of staff time”
“We want guarantees on eight key issues to protect and improve our hospital, local GP practices and social care services. Without guarantees we will have to reconsider our position. I am morally obliged to put the residents of MK first and to protect our NHS.”
At the launch of the proposed plans for STPs last year, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said: “Now is the time to confront - not duck - the big local choices needed to improve health and care across England over the next five years, and STPs are a way of doing this. Their success will largely depend on the extent to which local leaders and communities now come together to tackle deep-seated and longstanding challenges that require shared cross-organisational action.”
