The Socialist 3 August 2011

Unite against all cuts

UNITE AGAINST ALL CUTS

Building a workers' political alternative to the establishment parties

Norway: right wing terrorist killings

Waltham Forest: a victory for unity

NHS cuts from a nurse's viewpoint

Gloucestershire NHS

Eurozone and USA - Debt crisis

Kazakhstan oil strike: solidarity urgent

Syria: State unleashes new terror

Spain:"Throwing a shoe at the system"

Bombardier

Reinstate Paddy Brennan!

Workplace news in brief

MARCH FOR JOBS!

Disability rights

The great PFI schools rip off - once again!

News in brief

Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

Llanelli railway riots 1911

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Gloucestershire NHS

All SET for privatisation?

Chris Moore, Gloucestershire Socialist Party

Outside Stroud general hospital, Gloucestershire, there were angry shouts of 'keep out the private profiteers' from over 100 protesters on 28 July. But the next day, 70 miles away in Taunton, managers from the South West Strategic Health Authority were rubber-stamping plans to move NHS services from seven Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to Social Enterprise Trusts (SETs).

The provision of community, social care, adult, children's, mental health and other services from across the south west from Swindon to the Isle of Scilly is being taken out of the NHS. SETs are run as businesses, despite the 'non-profit' tag.

But after three years, contracts for services will go out to tender and SETs may have to compete with private health multinationals that could easily undercut SETs on price. Entrepreneurship Monitor found that SETs were twice as likely to fail as conventional companies.

Staff will have to leave the NHS and transfer to the SET. Terms and conditions are only safe temporarily, the NHS pension scheme could be affected and nationally agreed pay increases would be lost.

Staff are supposed to be consulted but despite the Unison union's requests, Gloucestershire PCT only conducted a poorly publicised survey not a ballot. Of those who took part, most said they had 'concerns about these plans', but the transfer to the SET was presented as a done deal.

NHS managers are sneaking through these changes, which come into effect on 1 October. Disgracefully there is no obligation to consult the local community.

Our NHS is being privatised behind closed doors. We must fight to save it.

Unison has halted SET transfer in some regions, but needs a national policy backed with the threat of industrial action if necessary.

In this issue

Fighting the cuts

UNITE AGAINST ALL CUTS