Concessions On NHS Welcomed

The British Medical Association (BMA) has welcomed a commitment from the government that it will not allow healthcare providers to compete for NHS contracts on the basis of price.

 The government has laid amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill for England, changing the sections which would have made it possible for providers to bid for contracts at a price below the standard NHS tariff. The changes will also prevent the possibility of differential pricing between NHS and private providers.

 Dr Hamish Meldrum, Chairman of Council at the BMA, said: 

"Price competition has been linked with lower quality and was of huge concern to the BMA and many others. We welcome the fact that the Health Secretary has not only listened to doctors’ views, but also acted on them.

 There is of course still a long way to go to address all the concerns doctors have about the Bill, such as Monitor’s powers to enforce competition. We will continue to press for further improvements and hope the government will continue to listen."

Clapham Arsonist Jailed

A 48-year-old man from Clapham has been sentenced to five years imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court for arson. John Usher, 48, of Cedars Road, was arrested for two counts of arson with intent to endanger life and GBH made by Clapham Town Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT), in partnership with the Met's Territorial Support Group (TSG) on Tuesday 10 August. Usher started several fires in a block of residential flats in Okeover Manor Clapham Common North Side, and assaulted a resident. Police were alerted to the incident after a resident contacted the police and their local SNT to report a man had forced entry to the block. Usher made his way into the communal entrance before using a fire extinguisher to force entry to flats. He then started a fire outside a flat on the first floor, before gaining entry to another flat and assaulting the woman occupier. The woman managed to escape, locking him inside. He then started a fire inside her flat. Police arrived on scene and evacuated the building before arresting Usher. London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene and treated residents for smoke inhalation.

Firm In Court After Plumber Burnt

A property maintenance firm has been sentenced after one of its employees suffered acid burns to his face, neck and arm at a house in Heywood. Neil Kelly, from Bury, was using a high concentration of sulphuric acid to unblock a sink at a domestic property when the corrosive liquid erupted into the air. The 52-year-old's employer, City Response Ltd, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident in Glencoe Close in December 2009. Trafford Magistrates' Court heard that the worker had not been given appropriate protective clothing, training or supervision on how to safely use the sink unblocker, which was made up of 96 percent sulphuric acid. The chemical erupted when he reached over the sink to turn on the tap, and it mixed with water in an exothermic explosion. The acid hit the ceiling and rained down on him, burning through his paper overalls. He was off work for more than two months due to the extent of his injuries. City Response Ltd admitted breaching the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations by not adequately controlling the exposure of workers to hazardous chemicals. The company, from Chadderton, was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £2,965 in prosecution costs on 3 March 2011.

(BMcN/GK)