Author Archives: Baroness Liz Barker

Baroness Barker writes… Liberal Democrats protecting the integrity of the NHS

By Baroness Liz Barker | 2nd March 2012 - 2:25 pm

We trust that doctors and nurses will care for us to the best of their ability, and we trust the decisions they make about our treatment are always in our best interest. It is clear that for patients and medical professionals alike, maintaining the integrity of the NHS is essential.

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will bring their unique knowledge of the health needs of their patient population to the design and commissioning of health services as part of the proposals contained in the Health and Social Care Bill.

We know that CCGs must be transparent and accountable to the public and …

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Baroness Barker writes… How the private patient income cap can benefit the NHS

By Baroness Liz Barker | 24th February 2012 - 2:53 pm

Labour’s 2006 NHS Act deliberately opened up health services, including acute hospitals, to wide-ranging competition on price, not quality. Labour’s legislation allowed private companies to receive £250m for contracts which they never delivered. Liberal Democrat peers are working hard to ensure that the NHS, including Foundation Trusts (FTs), remain public services.

Indeed, in order to protect them from the full force of competition law and the threat of takeover by American healthcare companies, hospitals must not be deemed ‘undertakings’ or look more like private sector bodies. One way to achieve that is to make it explicit in law that the majority …

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Baroness Liz Barker writes: Liberal Democrat peers working to secure an NHS fit for the future

By Baroness Liz Barker | 7th December 2011 - 6:53 pm

After five weeks of detailed, intensive scrutiny the House of Lords is about to start discussing Part 3 of the Health and Social Care Bill. This is the part which deals with the role of Monitor and EU competition law.

Building on the work of Nick Clegg in June this year following the listening exercise, Liberal Democrat peers are working hard to ensure that the legislation fully reflects our policy that competition should be strictly limited to those areas of commissioning and provision where there is evidence that it improves patient outcomes.

We will continue to argue that there should be nothing …

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Baroness Liz Barker writes… The Health and Social Care Bill in the Lords

By Baroness Liz Barker | 17th October 2011 - 2:53 pm

I have spent my entire working life in the field of health and social care. For many years I worked for Age Concern and for all my time in the Lords I have been a member of the Health and Social Care team. I am, and always will be, a passionate supporter of an NHS which is free at the point of need and open to all regardless of their ability to pay.

Although the Health and Social Care Bill only came to the Lords this week I have been working on it for several months along with Liberal Democrat colleagues, including …

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Baroness Liz Barker writes… Reasons to be cheerful

By Baroness Liz Barker | 11th November 2010 - 10:23 am

As the nights draw one can become a bit miserable. So here is my list of reasons to be cheerful (Part V):

  • Tax: people earning less than £10,000 pay no income tax
  • Banking levy: the people responsible for the financial mess being made to help with the clear up
  • Social Care: £2 billion to fund long term care
  • Green Investment Bank: £1 billion in cash plus the proceeds of future asset sales to fund

…

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Posted in Op-eds | 37 Comments

Recent Comments

  • User AvatarAlex Sabine 17th May - 3:11am
    If the reports are to be believed, IDS has already dismissed this apparently back-of-the-envelope costing by Steve Hilton. That is hardly surprising since he has...
  • User AvatarElliot Bidgood 17th May - 1:42am
    Thanks for the information about the govt consultation, Carol, hadn't heard about that. Just filled it out.
  • User Avataralistair 17th May - 12:37am
    Where does Cameron get his advisors from, Coulson, Hilton? It's like some parallel valueless universe.
  • User AvatarRichard Dean 16th May - 11:49pm
    I wonder if we might all appreciate a bit of light entertainment at this stage of the debate? Here are the lyrics of “Visions of...
  • User AvatarNicola Prigg 16th May - 11:21pm
    Was his first speech to conference as leader recorded and put online anywhere?