​Opposing the setting up of Accountable Care in Cornwall
This CLP notes:
  • that Accountable Care Organisations/Systems (ACO/Ss) are being introduced without adequate public involvement or consultation; and implemented beyond any legal framework, creating problems of governance and accountability;
  • that there is no robust evidence base to support their use in the context of the English NHS;
  • that they are likely to replace experienced clinicians with new lower-skilled and lower-paid roles, and undermine NHS terms and conditions of employment;
  • that multiple procurements will be replaced by a single, major, long-term contract to provide health and social care services for Cornwall;
  • the draft model contract for ACO/Ss published by NHS England allows for, and is likely to attract, bids from multinational corporations.
 This CLP believes that the setting up of an ACO/ACS in Cornwall would:
  • allow private companies to profiteer from the stripping of NHS assets such as land and buildings;
  • incentivise the rationing of services and – even more concerning – denial of care;
  • facilitate increasing privatisation of the NHS by giving private corporations new roles and powers to shape the NHS in their interests.
 We further believe that, although acute, primary care, community NHS services and social care need to be better integrated, major funding input is the first and foremost requirement, to restore safe level of service provision.
 This CLP resolves:
  • to oppose, and to call on all sections of the local party to oppose, the setting up of an Accountable Care Organisation/System in Cornwall.
  • to campaign, and to call on all sections of the local party to campaign, for:
  1. The £100 million debt write-off which the government is offering as an incentive to set up the Cornwall ACO to be written off immediately with no strings attached;
  2. Increased funding of the NHS and personal social care;
  3. No change without full public involvement and consultation;
  4. New legislation that ends the marketisation and fragmentation of the NHS, and re-establishes public bodies and NHS services that are accountable to Parliament and local communities – legislation such as that drafted in the NHS Reinstatement Bill 2016-17.