Victory for pensioner in battle with NHS Gloucestershire

ONE man, a 76-year-old retired railway worker, has halted a £400million overhaul of the county's NHS.

In a victory for people power, health bosses agreed a deal with the lawyers of Michael Lloyd, forcing them to rethink the changes.

The Stroud pensioner launched a legal bid against NHS Gloucestershire's plan to transfer some services – including 10 health clinics, nine community hospitals and 3,000 staff – to a company outside the NHS.

His lawyers and NHS Gloucestershire's hammered out a deal behind closed doors yesterday which means NHS chiefs must re-consult on up to £400million of changes.

"As the judge said, it is a victory for the people of Gloucestershire and for the people who work for the NHS in Gloucestershire," said Mr Lloyd's solicitor, Richard Stein after the High Court hearing.

"There will now be a careful attempt to see if the best way of delivering community health services can be found, which is what Mr Lloyd thinks will be in everyone's best interests."

Mrs Justice Thirlwall did not have to continue the judicial review hearing and said she was "happy" both sides had reached agreement. "It is an outcome which seems good for the PCT (NHS Gloucestershire) and its patients, and for the wider public, including Mr Lloyd," she said.

Under rules instigated by the Labour government, primary care trusts such as NHS Gloucestershire will be phased out next year, with family doctors in charge of budgets.

But NHS Gloucestershire's plan to transfer services to community interest company, or social enterprise, Gloucestershire Care Services, attracted huge criticism because of fears it could lead to NHS privatisation.

Heated

NHS Gloucestershire said a "social enterprise" would mean profits would be reinvested and local people would have a greater say over services.

However, Stroud Against the Cuts, which called for the legal challenge, wants those services to stay within the NHS. Around 350 people told NHS chiefs and they didn't want the change to go ahead at a heated public meeting in Stroud in September. Yesterday, that strength of feeling was reflected in a joint statement confirming NHS Gloucestershire's agreement "not to implement its decision to enter into a contract with Gloucestershire Care Services at this time".

It said: "The PCT has agreed that it will start a new process to explore the best option for providing community services in Gloucestershire. As part of that process NHS Gloucestershire will advertise for expressions of interest for the provision of NHS services in Gloucestershire."