1. Widen Public Access To Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CCBT)
A trial to make computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (CCBT) freely accessible by anyone via the Internet should be undertaken. This resource is available already through the NHS, but you must be referred by a GP to gain access. If found to be effective it would allow anyone who feels they may benefit by access to do so. This may help people who are reluctant to go to their GP over mental health concerns get the help they need online for free while maintaining complete anonymity.
2. Securing The NHS For Now And The Future
The Pirate Party will require that any legislative, administrative or other changes to the NHS do not have a negative impact on the NHS’s primary principles: that it meet the needs of everyone; that it be free at the point of delivery; and that it be based on clinical need, not ability to pay.
Changes to the NHS should be based upon evidence, not ideology. Changes should come from within the health establishment and the NHS wherever possible, with evolutionary change driven by a continuous, democratic and open discussion within the service.
Where the government is planning privatisation or permitting private provision of services we will ensure that transparency be at least equal to the scrutiny that the public provision it replaces was subject to. Contracts must ensure that delivery costs are guaranteed with penalties for failure and contingencies to ensure continuity of care.
Health provision is something that should be available to everyone. Like scientific ideas and culture, it is something that should be seen as part of the commons because without it people’s freedom to act is limited and pressures can be placed on individuals based on the cost or availability of healthcare, limiting freedom of action and potentially freedom of expression and association.
3. Scrap Prescription Charges
We are committed to healthcare on the basis of need, not the ability to pay. We would remove charges for prescriptions in England. This would bring England into line with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
4. Scientific Approach To Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are investigations designed to assess the effects – wanted and unwanted – of healthcare interventions in people.Clinicians and patients need access to clinical trial results to make treatment decisions. Our policy would adopt the “All Trials” campaign proposals. All tests of treatments and medications on humans would be registered and recorded.
The “All Trials” proposals:
- Planned clinical trials should be registered, with a summary of the trial protocol, before the first participant is recruited. Past trials that were not registered should now be registered retrospectively. This is essential if the trial was on medicines or interventions that we currently use .
- A summary of results should be publicly available where the trial was registered, within one year of completion of the trial. Summary results from all past trials of medicines currently in use should be made publicly available on a register now.
- Summary results include information on the primary and any secondary outcomes measured and statistical analysis. This is part of the structured information that global registries should support.
- Trial sponsors or others who produce a full report for marketing authorisation or any other purpose should make this publicly available. The narrative reports of adverse events and individual patient data in a full report can be redacted and available on request to researchers, in the same way that reports of adverse incidents currently are, with a commitment that no reasonable request will be refused.
5. Reverse Privatisation Within The NHS
The ongoing privatization of NHS services presents persistent challenges in terms of efficiency and costs. We propose implementing principles outlined in the NHS Reinstatement Bill, aimed at ensuring the NHS remains publicly funded, provided, and accountable. This includes reinstating government responsibility for key NHS services, declaring the NHS a non-economic service of general interest, and transforming its structure to empower local authorities and integrate public health services. These measures aim to address concerns and uphold the NHS’s foundational principles.
Efforts to preserve the NHS’s public nature hinge on reinstating governmental responsibility for essential services and declaring it a non-economic service. The proposed transformation of the NHS Commissioning Board and empowering local authorities seek to streamline service provision and eliminate bureaucratic constraints. Additionally, integrating public health services and re-establishing Community Health Councils aim to address health inequalities and ensure public interests are prioritized in service delivery.
Furthermore, mandates to establish national terms and conditions for NHS staff and repealing provisions requiring specific immigrants to pay for services aim to bolster workforce stability and promote inclusivity. These measures reflect a commitment to evidence-based policy aimed at safeguarding the NHS’s public character and improving healthcare access for all.
6. Rehabilitation For Alcohol Addicts
- Proposes sending alcohol addicts to rehabilitation instead of prison, funded by an increased tax on alcohol.
- Aims to address the growing issue of alcohol addiction.
7. Administration By Administrators, Medicine From Medical Staff
Given the complexity of running a hospital and the amount of time involved in administration, administrative staff, must be seen as important to ensuring that doctors, nurses and other medical staff can focus on patient care, rather than being seen as a burden. Although NHS resources and spending must be scrutinised and transparent, it is important not to harm services by removing administrative staff and shifting the administrative burden to front-line staff.
8. Mental Healthcare Funding And Recognition
Funding for mental health services has been cut in real terms for three years in a row, yet mental health problems account for 23% of the total burden of disease. Despite the existence of cost-effective treatments it receives only 13% of NHS health expenditure.
Mental health services must be funded appropriately to deal with demand and tackle unmet needs. To achieve this, we would rebalance the NHS budget to ensure mental health care receives the level of investment needed to improve outcomes.
9. Jointly Commissioned Health Services, Without Pooled Budgets
Separate “silos” for healthcare, social care and 3rd sector creates a fragmented system. This causes a disjointed experience for patients, and some “fall through the cracks. Centralising commissioning, while keeping budgets separate, would increase both care quality and efficiency.
10. Increasing NHS Funding
Since 2010 NHS funding per person has dropped in real terms. £800 million over the 2010-2015 government has been removed through Conservative budget cuts. This privatisation continued through the 2015-2017 Conservative government. This must be reversed if we want a health service that is fit for purpose. We want to increase NHS funding by 4% in real terms and bring UK healthcare spending in line with the G7 average. NHS funding must then continue to keep up with need, rising with in line with UK population growth. The NHS is a vital service, it is right that it be funded by general taxation. Privatisation needs to be undone so that we can be proud of the NHS that we all use.
11. Expanding Access to Comprehensive Care for Trans and Non-Binary Individuals
The Pirate Party advocates for streamlined legal gender identity changes and inclusion of non-binary options on official documents. They propose empowering general practitioners (GPs) to provide diverse care for trans and non-binary individuals, including monitoring hormone therapy and prescribing puberty blockers. They aim to reduce dependence on gender identity clinics (GICs) by authorizing GPs to offer comprehensive care and order necessary medical tests. Additionally, they call for specialized training for healthcare professionals and collaborative referrals to mental health caregivers with expertise in trans and non-binary healthcare. The party also seeks to incorporate review mechanisms into NHS England’s decision-making processes concerning transgender healthcare, ensuring transparency and accountability.
12. Equality In Blood Donation
Restrictions on blood donations from men who have sex with men should be lifted. The focus must be on individual screening and making sure as many people as possible can donate blood and save lives.
13. End Private Finance Initiatives Within The NHS
The Pirate Party proposes to terminate Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) within the NHS, citing evidence of their detrimental financial impact. Since 1997, £11 billion of NHS infrastructure has been constructed under PFIs, accumulating a total cost of £80 billion. These initiatives have often resulted in the NHS being bound to specific service providers, limiting flexibility and potentially inflating costs. The party pledges to cease the signing of new PFI agreements and to intervene urgently where existing inflated PFI expenses are adversely affecting NHS services, aiming to address financial inefficiencies and ensure optimal resource allocation within the healthcare system.
14. Ban Surgical Mutilation Of Minors’ Genitals
The Pirate Party advocates for a ban on non-medically necessary genital surgeries for minors, regardless of gender. This policy aims to protect children from unnecessary surgical interventions, which can cause physical and psychological harm without their consent. Research indicates that such procedures can lead to long-term complications and interfere with individuals’ autonomy over their bodies. By restricting these surgeries to cases with clear medical justifications, the Pirate Party seeks to safeguard children’s well-being and bodily integrity.
15. An Evidence Based Approach To Alcohol Education
- Advocates for an evidence-based approach to alcohol education to improve understanding and responsible use.
- Focuses on providing accurate information to young people.
16. Abolishing Drug Patents
We aim to abolish drug patents, which will reduce drug costs drastically, since all drugs would become generic. This innovation would save the NHS vast sums of money; part of that saving will then be used to subsidise drug research.
The pharmaceutical industry currently spends around 15% of its patent drug income on research; we would support that expenditure with subsidies made possible in savings from the NHS. This will increase research budgets, while still saving the NHS money.
This policy of making all drugs generic will create a massive opportunity for industry to make profits, employ more people and save lives by encouraging the manufacture of newly generic drugs in this country for sale to the third world.