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From The Socialist newspaper, 24 March 2021
Haringey: Hands off our GP practices
Photo: Amnon Cohen (Click to enlarge)
Nasso Christou, Haringey TUSC
Socialist Party and Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) supporters joined Keep Our NHS Public, and other local campaigners, including Unite the Union and the local trades union council, for a flash picket event outside the Laurels GP practice in Haringey, north London on 19 March.
Centene Corporation, an American health insurance giant, has acquired the Laurels through its UK subsidiary - Operose Health Ltd. This corporation has so far acquired 49 GP practices in 19 London boroughs covering over 370,000 patients, and 21 further GP practices across the country.
It is now the biggest GP group in the UK. Even the Daily Mail called Centene a 'profit-greedy American health giant'.
Privatisation has to be exposed and challenged. Friday's action alerted the local community and users of the Laurels. Many were completely unaware that their GP surgery had been sold to a US corporation, and were understandably shocked.
Although in theory these companies have to maintain GP services, they are known to cut jobs and employ lower-paid staff to increase their profits. They have closed GP surgeries, if they are judged to be unprofitable, leaving patients stranded and having to travel long distances.
Their main interest though is to control this key NHS service, with a view to greater profits if private healthcare is expanded, presenting opportunities to make money by harvesting patient data.
This Tory government is rewarding NHS staff with a pay cut for their heroic service during the pandemic. Despite the Tories toe-curling, constant references to 'our NHS', they are selling off as much of it as they can on the quiet.
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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
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- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
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In The Socialist 24 March 2021:
Protest
Defying the anti-protest restrictions
Police attempt to silence mothers
NHS
Haringey: Hands off our GP practices
Elections
Battle for a fighting, anti-austerity Liverpool mayor
Help fund the Socialist Party's stand as part of TUSC
Fighting Sexual Harassment
Fighting sexual harassment and gender violence on campus
Paris Commune 150 Years
150th anniversary of the Paris Commune
2011 Pensions Strike
Lessons of the 2011 pensions strike: when workers showed their power
Workplace News
PCS elections: increased support for Broad Left Network
Engineering workers strike against 'fire and rehire' in Leicester
'Sleep-ins' ruling must lead to a huge campaign for social care workers' rights
Shrewsbury Pickets win: Convictions overturned
Sparks continue protests against deskilling
Beal High school strike as management refuse to negotiate over fair sick pay scheme
Preparing to organise workers in Enfield
Support victimised bus driver reps and Socialist Party members Declan and Moe
Goodlord workers continue all-out strike
Campaigns
Save John Carroll - fight is far from over!
Stop evictions and drop the debts
Online meeting - Ending violence against women, the socialist approach
Socialist Party regional conferences meet online
Readers' Opinion
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