NHS and health

Public health, not private profit

The government is continuing its attempts to formally privatise the National Health Service by stealth. It was forced into a climb-down on implementing Section 75 of the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, which would have forced “commissioners” to open up every aspect of healthcare provision to tender by private companies. But widespread opposition, including from Labour MPs, forced the government to redraft the law. But the new version, due to come into force on 1 April, is described by the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign as “the same wrecking ideas spruced up, cowardly repackaged.” Shadow...

March to save Whittington Hospital

On 16 March, thousands will demonstrate in North London in defence of Whittington Hospital. Following a successful public meeting attended by 500 people, campaigners from the Defend Whittington Hospital Coalition have been building for the march, which will begin at Highbury Corner and end at the hospital. On 28 February, 150 campaigners demonstrated at a hospital board meeting, demanding the planned cuts and sell-off be scrapped. They marched through the hospital canteen and were cheered by health workers. The Whittington Hospital board are seeking Foundation Trust status. In the past, Dr Koh...

Campaign to save the NHS!

London hospitals are failing patients who need emergency care, according to a just-published NHS audit (researched undertaken in 2011). According to the audit none of London’s 28 Hospital Trusts are meeting minimum standards. The report is published as an inquest takes place into the death of seven week old Axel Peanberg King who died of pneumonia despite calls and visits to a privatised out-of-hours GP service based at the Whittington Hospital in north London. The current wave of government-driven initiatives and “shake ups” in London’s NHS are certain to make a bad situation worse. The...

GMB rejects NHS attacks

As we reported in Solidarity 274, the leadership of the main health union Unison has voted to accept attacks to Agenda for Change, the agreement governing health workers pay and conditions. The reasoning appears to be that accepting cuts now may stave off worse cuts in the future, but statements from the Foundation Trust Network, an association for NHS bosses, suggest they seem intent on pushing ahead with plans to regionalise pay and conditions negotiation. There are some signs of resistance from the smaller health unions, however. The GMB has voted to oppose the attacks, and lobbied trade...

In April the NHS will be privatised

From this April, 80% of the NHS budget — around £70 billion — will be handed over to 211 GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). CCGs replace Primary Care Trusts, once the local arm of the Department of Health. The CCGs’ budget will be spent in a competitive market subject to competition laws designed for commerce not public health. The private sector will cherry-pick the services where they can make the most profit. Hospitals will be left with the most difficult and most expensive cases; their finances will be destabilised. For many Trusts, laden with PFI debts, the financial crisis will...

NHS: stop terms and conditions surrender

On 6 February, health union Unison’s Service Group Executive agreed to accept a number of attacks to Agenda for Change (AfC, the national terms and conditions for NHS staff) in a gambit straight out of the concession bargaining school of trade unionism.

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