Campaigners warn that North London NHS reorganisation is linked to privatisation agenda

Local NHS campaigners are warning that the merger of five North London clinical comissioning groups (CCGs), due to occur in April, is linked to moves to ration healthcare services and increase the participation of American healthcare corporations in the management of the NHS.

The warning by members of Defend Enfield NHS (DENHS) is reported in an article by Local Democracy Reporter Simon Allin published this week by the Enfield Independent. They say that merging the CCGs is part of the move to set up an Integrated Care System (ICS) to cover the boroughs of Enfield, Barnet, Haringey, Camden and Islington.

The report quotes DENHS member Dr Martin Blanchard, who points out that the list of registered organisations allowed to provide support to set up and run the ICSs includes 76 private companies, including 23 US companies.

Further revelations about the extent to which private US healthcare corporations are involved in ongoing NHS reorganisation are contained in an article on the website Open Democracy.