To: Bath and Northeast Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Councils

Demand the billionaire breakup of Wilts health services is paused!

We, the undersigned, call on the council to take immediate action regarding the decision to award community healthcare services to the for-profit provider HCRG. Specifically, we urge the council to:

Hold a full debate on the decision to transfer community healthcare services to HCRG, including whether the Integrated Care Board have met their legal obligations in making this decision, and take the following further action before the transfer on 1 April 2025.

Formally refer the decision to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, to call-in the decision. This can be done using the "call-in request form". The secretary of state's intervention will pause the contract award to ensure that the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and local councils can properly fulfill their statutory duties in overseeing and scrutinising this substantial reconfiguration and major transformation of community healthcare services.

Demand that the ICB consults key stakeholder (public, councils, unions) on the transformation proposal and conducts a formal impact assessment to evaluate how these significant changes to community care services will affect other services, providers, and stakeholders.

Why is this important?

On 1 April, a huge portion of Wiltshire's health services (including 2,000 NHS trained staff) will be given away to a billionaire private equity investment firm, Twenty20 Capital.

This unprecedented transfer risks patient care, the breakup and disruption of services and the driving down of health workers pay and conditions.

The local Integrated Care Board, who awarded the contract to private healthcare firm HCRG (owned by billionaire private equity investment firm Twenty20 Capital) in October, did so quickly, quietly and without meeting several of their legal obligations.

Please join us urgently in asking the relevant councils to formally request the Secretary of State pause this transfer to enable proper scrutiny and accountability to take place and avoid disruption to the public health service.

Organised by: UNISON Southwest and Protect Our NHS

How it will be delivered

UNISON, Protect our NHS and our allies will deliver this petition to the relevant councils directly. We will keep you informed so you can join us.

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Unison

Updates

2025-02-25 16:04:47 +0000

Dear Friend,

Thank you so much for signing our petition to pause the billionaire breakup and privatisation of community health services in BANES, Swindon and Wiltshire. We’re right on the edge of an amazing 4000 signatures!

But to secure debates at the relevant councils we need to hit 5000 THIS WEEK. Could you please share the petition with your friends and family to help us get over the line?

Posting something on social media will only take a second, but will mean that hundreds more people see and sign the petition.

Many thanks!

2025-02-11 16:24:19 +0000

1,000 signatures reached

2025-02-11 15:57:08 +0000

500 signatures reached

2025-02-07 21:37:15 +0000

100 signatures reached

2025-02-07 19:38:38 +0000

50 signatures reached

2025-02-07 18:24:39 +0000

25 signatures reached

2025-02-07 17:25:14 +0000

10 signatures reached