Stop these parasites!

Submitted by Matthew on 22 August, 2012 - 9:21

News of potential job losses at Circle-run Hinchingbrooke Hospital has come as no surprise to campaigners who opposed a controversial franchise deal.

Six months into the deal, which was seen by many as a testing ground for the future of the NHS, it is rumoured that 50 nursing and nursing assistant posts could go as part of efficiency savings. It is also believed that £500,000 has been cut from the cleaning budget with staff facing cuts and redundancies.

When the management of Hinchingbrooke Healthcare Trust was taken over by Circle in February ministers declared it was a 'financial and clinical “basket case”. At the beginning of August Circle's ex-banker boss Ali Parsa announced that he had turned the hospital around, reducing waiting times and improving patient satisfaction.

The Tory press went wild with joy citing private sector management as the saviour of the NHS. However, as Hands off Hinchingbrooke campaigner, Steve Sweeney, Secretary of Huntingdonshire Trades Union Council points out: “Circle made a loss of £2.3 million in the months up to June 2012 and is believed to require a loan to meet its cost improvement plans. Circle seem to have a very effective PR machine that has managed to spin what is looking more and more like the disaster we feared it would be into a success.

“Many of the so called successes at Hinchingbrooke seem superficial. As predicted, the so called efficiencies in reality mean cuts to services and loss of front-line jobs in nursing and cleaning staff.”

Parsa says: “we believe our partners — the doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals — should run their own hospitals.” But that begs the question: what role is left for management? And would a truly workers-led hospital consider cutting 46 nursing posts and placing an additional burden on the remaining staff?

An article in Health Service Journal reveals that Circle is targetting 32 hospital trusts in what it sees as an £8 billion “NHS growth opportunity”

The George Eliot Hospital Trust in Warwickshire may be next in line for the Circle treatment with the Department of Health set to announce soon on whether it is suitable for private franchise management.

We must link up the battle for a publically owned, funded and accountable NHS and kick out these private sector parasites.

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