A clause in the Bill would give central government administrators powers to dismantle local hospital services undemocratically.

If passed, this clause will allow Ministers to close successful services that communities want and need without any kind of local scrutiny and democracy.

This is a major issue for people in Brighton and Hove and for anyone who cares about the NHS, or local democracy. Decisions about health service provision must be clinically led and made locally.

Clause 119 would increase the powers of Trust Special Administrators, who are brought in to take over NHS organisations deemed to be failing. The Clause would allow them to impose changes on a neighbouring organisation.

As well as being profoundly undemocratic, this measure is completely counterproductive.

Any Government that tries to use this process to impose sweeping changes without proper local engagement will face a barrage of opposition. Changes to health service provision need to be driven by clinical arguments, that bring communities with them, not imposed top-down.

Last year, the Appeal Court ruled that the Health Secretary acted illegally when he tried to implement cuts to Accident and Emergency and maternity services in Lewisham to save a neighbouring trust that went into administration.

Matthew Kershaw, the Trust Special Administrator that decided to close Lewisham Hospital’s maternity and accident and emergency departments is now the chief executive of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust which runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

It’s disappointing that the Government is still trying to smuggle through changes in the Care Bill after its legal failure over cuts at Lewisham Hospital. People absolutely have to have a say on changes that threaten the services they rely on. 

This is a dangerous and undemocratic change which will make it much easier for popular and successful services to be closed.