The fight is on to 'Save our NHS'

摘要

A year ago, when the government cemented its NHS 'reforms' into law, it probably thought it had silenced the critics. How wrong it was. By throwing the door wide open to private sector companies, David Cameron and his health team have roused the ire of the public and professionals alike. Across England, communities are coming together to defend their NHS, more determined than ever to stop the sell-off of our greatest national treasure. It seems to be working. In March, public and professional pressure led to a government climb-down on the section 75 competition regulations that would have forced compulsory competitive markets on all NHS services. However, we cannot rest here. Bitter experience of this government - which promised no more restructuring of the NHS and then embarked upon the biggest upheaval in its 65-year history - warns us that we need to watch every move Cameron makes when it comes to our health service. Unite will be scrutinising every dot and comma of the new regulations to make sure that it is absolutely bullet proof and to protect it from predatory private healthcare companies. Protests Across England local communities and health professionals are pulling together to save services. In Lewisham tens of thousands of Londoners took to the streets to stop an assault on a successful local hospital, which was forced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to downgrade services to save a failing neighbouring trust. Similar battles are being waged to save A&E and maternity services in west London, Bolton, Blackpool and elsewhere. In Yorkshire, Unite members have been fighting to save the ambulance service as the trust's cuts and changes risk turning the 999 calls service into a postcode lottery. These battles are a symptom of a service pitched into needless chaos. Hospitals are at risk, jobs are being lost daily and NHS professionals are struggling with staff shortages and attacks to Agenda for Change. Unite's 'Save our NHS' campaign sees us fighting alongside communities to defend local NHS services under threat. Working with you, the professionals, who know what works, we will hound this government for what it is doing to our NHS, up to and beyond the next general election.