Save our NHS demo 4.3.17, photo Mary Finch

Save our NHS demo 4.3.17, photo Mary Finch   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Mary Jackson , Socialist Party Doncaster

I am struggling to believe how far the NHS has been run down over the past ten years, due to government spending cuts and costly privatisation measures.

It’s meant that the majority of hospitals were in a crisis situation at some point over the winter, with patients at risk due to a lack of beds and staff.

By next year the expectation is that more than 1.8 million people will be waiting more than four hours in A&E for treatment.

The latest Tory cuts of £22 billion in NHS England funding by 2020 means that many hospital A&Es, along with other health services, will be axed altogether.

In addition, councils have devastated home care services to comply with Tory cuts to their budgets. This means ill pensioners and those recovering from operations are stuck in hospital much longer than necessary because there’s no care home place or home support funding available.

Despite the deepening NHS crisis, health workers – overworked and undervalued by this welfare-smashing Tory government – continue to provide a world class service for patients.

The recent national ‘save our NHS’ demo of over 100,000 people shows there’s a strong determination to fight to defend and improve this vital service. This fightback must be built upon by the various campaign groups and health service trade unions.

The Socialist Party says:

  • No cuts, closures or jobs losses
  • Stop the Tory ‘STP’ cuts plan. Councils should refuse to cooperate with STPs
  • Big business out! Scrap all privatisation schemes. Renationalise our NHS
  • Reverse council cuts to social care
  • Decent pay for NHS staff. No attacks on NHS workers’ pay and conditions
  • Mass protest action to defend the NHS including strikes and occupations – a day of action in all STP areas on May Day
  • Labour and trade unions to organise a massive national demo
  • For a comprehensive, high quality NHS, under democratic control with care free at the point of use – a socialist NHS