While ministers, on one hand, are preparing for the third reading of the Health and Social Care Bill in Parliament next week, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has, on the other hand, warned that bill underscores the risk of creating "a new and expensive bureaucracy and fragmenting care system"!

With the third reading of the Bill coming up in the House of Commons on September 6 and September 7, the RCN - drawing attention to the "unprecedented period of financial challenge" - have voiced some "serious concerns" about the impact of the health reforms.

Since there are reports of the battle against market-driven reforms to the NHS to supposedly be in full swing across England over the weekend, the RCN's CEO and general secretary Dr Peter Carter said that the NHS should focus more on some other pertinent issues - like finding £20 billion in efficiencies, tackling waste, working harder to prevent ill health, and dealing with an aging population.

Noting that the Bill implies fragmentation risks, which will not only make inequalities even worse, but will also prevent health providers from collaborating in the interests of patients.

Further adding that "we must avoid a situation where existing NHS providers are left with expensive areas of care while private providers are able to 'cherry pick' the services that can be delivered easily," Dr Carter said: "As the Bill enters this final phase, we will be working to ensure that there are checks and balances to avoid these very real risks"!