Hanley Primary Care Centre, which is among the Islington practices taken over by US company Centene Corporation

• I AM sure that readers can imagine the shock and concern of the 500 plus members of Islington Pensioners’ Forum when they heard – through the columns of this newspaper – that our primary care services are in danger of a takeover from US company Centene through its subsidiaries following a disgraceful manoeuvre, that is, the resignation and replacement of the six previously designated members at AT Medics Limited, giving the US company access to our surgeries devoid of public scrutiny, (GP surgeries’ patients put in the hands of US big business, February 19).

Our members – older people living in Islington – have gone on record over and over again in support of our National Health Service and we are appalled that the North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group (NCL CCG) could allow such a thing to happen.

Disgraceful manoeuvres by private companies with no history or interest in our public NHS is in opposition to the NHS ethos; commitment to community, openness in all aspects of proposed change, and transparency in transactions.

Therefore, at our online committee meeting on Monday February 22, we agreed to support the letter sent to Dr Josephine Sauvage, chair of the NCL CCG by Islington Keep Our NHS Public and others calling for termination of the contracts.

We want re-establishment of the trust inspired by the NHS, and we believe the majority of Islington Tribune readers want that too.

BOB COLLINS
Chair, Islington Pensioners’ Forum