Hypocrisy of the Greens is 'breath-taking'

At the next council meeting they are proposing a motion that opposes market testing of NHS Services.

Part of it says “This council opposes the Health and Social Care Act, which forces those with commissioning responsibilities to put out virtually all services to tender.”

So far, so good, but these very same councillors agreed to market test our locally run Drug and Alcohol Service and then subsequently voted to award the contract to a Surrey based voluntary organisation who will sub contract part of the service to a Surrey based NHS Trust.

One can only guess at what this unnecessary process cost in terms of consultants and managers’ time.

They didn’t need to do this. They could have just approached the current lead provider, Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, with plans around how they wanted the service to change.

This trust already works with a multitude of charities and the staff have won awards for the service they provide.

Indeed, in February of this year the council issued a press release praising the service with Green Councillor Rob Jarrett saying: “It’s great news that the rate of drugs deaths has fallen for the third year in a row and I want to thank all the professionals involved that have helped achieve this.”

Their reward? To be transferred to a trust outside of Sussex who is currently looking at departing from NHS terms and conditions and possibly even becoming a social enterprise.

It was embarrassing to watch the Green councillors vote with their Tory counterparts who were, not surprisingly, enthusiastically supporting the proposal.

In contrast the Labour suggestion of a pause whilst all options were reconsidered was sensible and measured. So can the Greens spare us the sanctimonious nonsense and platitudes please.

As one protester shouted out at the council meeting ‘Green on the outside, Blue on the inside’!

Peter Atkinson

Labour Candidate North Portslade

Wolseley Road

Portslade