Darzi TWO recent top-level academic reports have struck body blows at the drive Welwyn Garden City (QEII Hospital) do pose a potential threat to the lives and future recovery of patients who would then face much longer Colleges, published in September, has concluded that there is no evidence that most patient care or satety is materiallv improved bv con. centrating all hospital servAces INTO fewer, bigger hospitals.
+ Darti There is limited evidence that outcomes for patients who have suffered major trauma, or need neurosurgery or vascular care fare better in more highly specialized units. But: "At this stage, any decision to withdraw 24-hour surgical cover trom some hospitals in favour of centralization is not Saturday November 3
Central London National demonstration in central London
to celebrate and defend the NHS. Further details from www.unison.org.uk//healthcare/keepNHSworking
supported by current clinical evidence". And even more damning in response to the cash-driven process towards centralization of services, the report also argues lnal services musu be "delivered as locally as posIt's common sense: even a child can understand, but not, it seems, NHS managers ... sible" without compromising safety and quality, and:
"The Royal College Surgeons insists that any reorganization of health services has a sound clinical and evidence base. Financial, political and managerial expediency must not be primary drivers tor service reorganization."
Ministers should be further embarrassed that the RCS also points to New Labour's own market-style "reforms" of the NHS - the system of "payment by results" and the deliberate creation of competition between NHS providers