Don’t Forget The NHS!

What with the London Riots, Notting Hill Carnival, the quest to ‘modernise’ Libya and London football teams being walloped by clubs from the North, we could all be forgiven for putting to the back of our minds the ticking time-bomb that is the ‘Health and Social Care Bill’

The National Health Service was 63 years old in July. It is not perfect by any means (as most 63 year olds aren’t) but we will never improve it by selling it to the highest bidder. 

Improving the bank balance of the shareholder and global company will not improve the care and fairness of our Health Service.

‘We Love Our NHS’ is not just a slogan that unions and campaign groups use: it is a phrase that has been  on the lips of millions of working people since July 1948.

Working people, like us, that prior to that time, lived in fear of themselves or their families ever falling ill. A time when money played the decisive role between life & death, sickness & health, help or abandonment.

No wonder ‘In Place Of Fear’ was the title of Aneurin (Nye) Bevan’s book about some of the political struggles in founding the NHS (1952).

Of course those political struggles have never gone away, and neither have the opponents and enemies of the social and human principles that are at the core of our Health Service. 

There has always been political tension regarding the NHS. There has always been political struggle for its existence. Those of us who understand that and support the NHS need to stand up and save it.

D-Day is approaching.

Over the 6th and 7th September the Government will be reporting and voting on the Health and Social Care Bill.

Although minor changes to the Bill have been forced through before the vote on 7th September, they will do nothing to stop the Coalitions aim: to privatise the Health Service and put profits before patients.

UNISON believes the main threats continue to be:

• The NHS will move to a system of wholesale competition.
• The Government plans a far larger role for private providers.
• The Government is cutting up the NHS.
• Private patients will be able to jump the queue.
• The Health Secretary will be less accountable.
• Staff remain under threat.

As part of the NHS, Ambulance Services are also in the firing line. Although millions of pounds worth of funding has already been withdrawn, I believe that worse is to come.

Don’t be surprised if Foundation Trust Status with its financial ‘freedoms’ sets Ambulance Services adrift on the high seas of privatisation.

English Ambulance Services’ freedoms mean nothing when the  European Union (EU) pokes us with a ‘competition cutlass’ and forces us to walk the plank so that the sharks can be fed! 

Chunks of our NHS will go to the private sector if this Bill is not stopped. Go to the link below to see what you can do to help stop it.

Don’t Forget The NHS.

http:www.unison.org.uk/ournhs/docs_list.asp

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 Information of all issues can be found elsewhere on our website.

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Eric Roberts

Branch Secretary