The Socialist 14 April 2010

Main parties promise more of the same rotten cuts agenda

Voters face 'slash and burn' policies whoever wins election

Help build a socialist alternative in the general election

Socialist Party manifesto 2010

Afghanistan: Bring the troops back

Kyrgyzstan - dictator overthrown

News in brief

Defend welfare and public services

RMT union challenges far-right in Barking

Postal workers call for 'no' vote on deal

NUT conference calls for 24-hour public sector strike

Newcastle University - support staff face attacks on jobs and pay

STOP PRESS - BA dispute

National Shop Stewards Network 2010 conference

Lewisham - standing on our fighting record

Coventry's city-wide socialist election challenge

Russia: Putin - ten years of the man that no-one knew

Emperor's new clothes: the bosses' pet management theories

20 years ago: the Strangeways prison riot

Previous issues, etc

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News in brief

Health...

LABOUR'S ELECTION manifesto pledges that every hospital will become a foundation trust by 2015, which will allow local health managers to run their own affairs. This part-privatisation measure, on top of Labour's other market-oriented policies in the NHS, should set alarm bells ringing among the public.

A recent report into Mid Staffordshire foundation hospital identified "shocking" systematic failures in providing care to patients. Between 400 and 1,200 more people died at the hospital than at any other hospital between 2005 and 2008. The failings at Mid Staffs were due to the trust board being more concerned with cost cutting, targets and achieving foundation status, than looking after patients. 150 jobs were axed in order to cut costs. Managers reportedly intimidated staff to prevent any whistle-blowing.

Basildon hospital which also had an unusually high death rate among patients is likewise, a foundation hospital. A damning report into the Essex hospital identified appalling standards of hygiene.

Last week, London Health Emergency obtained details of £9 million cuts in mental health provision by East London NHS Foundation Trust. These include cuts in front-line nursing staff on acute wards. The changes could put the safety of both staff and patients at risk.

Wealth...

AS OVERWORKED health workers continue to struggle on a below inflation pay deal, NHS chiefs are enjoying inflation busting salary rises - taking them to an average of over £150,000 a year.

These are the same mangers who are talking of cutting costs in the NHS by £20 billion over the next five years!

The highest paid NHS executive is Ron Kerr from Guy's hospital in south London, who 'earned' £270,000. It also appears that NHS managers in foundation hospitals earn around £10,000 a year more than their counterparts in non-foundation trusts.

...and unhappiness

THE GOVERNMENT-LED 'reconfiguration of health services' is political jargon for closing critical care facilities in hospitals and replacing them with minor injury treatment centres or 'polyclinics'.

A King's Fund report suggested that polyclinics could pose 'significant risks for patient care'. It also found that "there is... evidence that quality [of care] may be decreased in certain cases." The British Medical Association advised that the government should "dump the polyclinic plan".

But polyclinics appear to be good news for the private health companies who are set to take over the running of the GP services in the London borough of Redbridge's only polyclinic, which opened last year. The polyclinic's opening coincided with health bosses' attempts to 'downgrade' (ie close) the A&E department at the local King George's hospital.

NHS Redbridge has signed a 25-year rental agreement with the developers Loxford Complex Ltd at a cost of £1 million a year. And Practice plc has signed a deal to run the GP services.

In this issue

Main parties promise more of the same rotten cuts agenda