The Socialist 1 November 2007

NHS: Kick big business out!

Targets take their toll on cleaners

Feature: NHS - Time to fight for a national strike

Editorial: NHS campaigning - national strategy needed

System change to stop climate change

CWU executive member calls for a 'no' vote

Unison local government ballot result ignored

Socialism 2007

Socialism 2007 web pages

Countering the race to the bottom

Respect in crisis - what lessons for socialists?

The socialist interview

Nigeria: Day of action protest march in Osogbo

Switzerland: Racism dominates election campaign

Poland: Right-wing populist government defeated

Wales shop stewards' network conference

London and South East regional conference

Bolton care workers' dispute: Workers' determination yields first signs of success

Vote Martin Powell-Davies for NUT vice president

Journalists: Fight low pay and long hours

Previous issues, etc

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Targets take their toll on cleaners

A domestic team supervisor at an East Midlands hospital told the socialist what lies behind the headlines in today's NHS.

"Things are looking cleaner, but at the cost of my staff. Sickness has gone up. It's so stressful people are starting, working three days and then leaving. We have one lady to clean a whole ward – five bays with six beds, five side-rooms, a corridor and a nurses' station - in six hours. The toilet cleaning team have six wards to clean - one person has 40 minutes a ward. They're supposed to be done three times a day but they can't get round.

It used to be a really happy place to work. It still is in some ways but the mood of the staff is very demotivated and deflated. They're not happy because they want to do their best and they can't. The main reason is shortage of staff. A lot have left and a lot of experience has gone."

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NHS: Kick big business out!