Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/493/2565
From The Socialist newspaper, 28 June 2007
Save our NHS
Kick out the profiteers
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NHS demonstration March 3rd 2007, photo Paul Mattsson |
Private equity firms, the vulture venture capitalists buying up large parts of the economy and paying virtually no tax, now control 70% of private hospitals, after their acquisition of BUPA's health services last week.
Lois Austin
And when there is £6 billion, of public money up for grabs to pay for NHS patients to be treated in the private sector, you can see why private equity firms, who raid businesses and services when the going is good and then cut and run when it suits, are so eager to get their greedy hands on the private health care market.
When health minister, Patricia Hewitt talks about a 'polarity of providers' of NHS services she means these firms getting hold of vital parts of the NHS.
Her vision of a future NHS, all sweetness and light, with a mixture of providers all pulling together, actually means a two-tier system involving healthcare insurance, like the US model.
For the people of south London this means the threatened closure of the emergency clinic at the Maudsley Mental Health Hospital. In the era of the NHS internal market, a service can't be costed in advance is a service which cannot be 'afforded'.
That's why, along with the elderly day hospitals, Felix Post and Eamonn Fotrell, the Maudsley is up for closure. Having won a partial victory when the closure was delayed, trade unionists and users took to the streets once again last Saturday to save the service.
Our fight to get a full clinical emergency service resumed at the Maudsley will continue and must be linked with other NHS campaigns around the country.
Campaigners will be out in the next few weeks, determined to stop the clock being turned back to the 19th century.
The 59th anniversary of the NHS will be celebrated on 5 July with protests around the country culminating in a protest outside the Department of Health at lunchtime and then giving the NHS a great big birthday on Parliament Green at 5pm.
Make sure you are out on this day defending the founding principles of the NHS.
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In The Socialist 28 June 2007:
Rail union backs postal strikers
Public anger at post office closure
Heanor postal workers seven day strike
National Shop Stewards Network
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Come to the National shop stewards' network Founding conference
Outside Manchester's Gordonville 'bubble'
Socialist Party NHS campaign
Socialist Party news and analysis
Socialism 2007
Socialist Party events
What we think
It's business as usual as European summit ignores public opposition
Socialist Party Marxist analysis
World economy grows but workers lose out
Socialist Party workplace news
Unison leadership launches a witch-hunt
Missed opportunity at NUT executive
Socialist Party LGBT
London Pride 2007 Homophobia - it's so not over!
Socialist Party review
International socialist news and analysis
Nigeria: Four-day general strike ends
USA: Protesters demand military recruiters out of schools
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